Here's the cold truth: We are all hopeless at times. Too often we feel inadequate in our skills or our appearance, even our relationship with God. I believe we feel this most often when we see someone more experiences or successful in a talent that we are passionate about.

You see, we are all inadequate. In the eye of public opinion, we are not enough; we don’t do enough, we aren’t successful enough. When we focus so much on what other people are given, or what they have gained through hard work, we begin to believe that our life has less value than the next person. Too often I find myself in this same predicament. I take something that I love and admire and I compare that talent to someone else, therefore I decide to ignore the talent.

​I created this website to share my talents and too impact the world, but I can’t do that if I refuse to express my faith through my talents and skills. I know that I’m not perfect and my talents are not perfectly polished, but they were still given to me by God to be used for His glory. This “Lyrical Exercise” is to abolish comparison in my life and to follow God’s path for my life. 

Why is Lyricism so important?
                With the recent release of Eminem’s Kamikaze album, I’ve been really curious about what drew me to Hip Hop at such a young age. The truth is, my first favorite artist was Eminem. I first heard Eminem when I would see his “My name is….” Music video when I would watch MTV first thing in the morning when I got ready for school. When my older brother gave me a copy of Eminem’s debut album, "The Slim Shady LP" I was hooked!
                From that point on I fell in love with Hip Hop; most importantly, I fell in love with the lyrical aspect of Hip Hop. The creative lyrics were enough to captivate my impressionable mind and challenge me to write lyrics as well. Ever since I was ten years old, I've been writing rhymes, which would later become songs. To be completely honest with you, every Hip Hop artist that I find myself listening to, I am always the most impressed by the lyrical abilities of the artist. The ability to be able to tell a compelling story through the clever word play and well-crafted phrases and rhymes.    
                As I thought about why certain audiences are attracted to lyricism when it comes to Hip Hop, I created a list of reasons. Now, this list is not complete, nor is it in any particular order. It is just my thoughts on why I love lyricism in Hip Hop:

1. It shows creativity: As I recently stated, I love clever lyrics! When an artist is able to craft clever lyrics that get the audience thinking, there is really nothing better. Often Hip Hop is associated with lower income areas, the well-put together lyrics proved that anyone could be seen as genius, the only thing that matters is finding what you, as the artist, is most creative in. As a listener, hearing the intelligent lyrics as well as the amazing metaphors and witty punch lines was enough to blow my mind and keep me coming back for more.
      
2. Keeps the audience interested- I believe that we’ve all heard the simplistic lyrics of popular Pop songs and often cringed at the watered down attempt at song writing. I know that as a Hip Hop fan and a true fan of lyricism, I appreciate lyrics that keep me interested time and time again.  Yet, with the outstanding wordplay of lyricist, I can listen to the verses over and over again while I decode rhyme patterns, metaphors, similes, imagery, as well as assonance, and alliteration.   
    
   
   
3. It challenges the audience- For a select few; the lyricism found at the base of Hip Hop creates a inner challenge for the listener: they want to learn how to write lyrics as well. This definitely happened to me! When I would listen to lyricists such as Eminem, DMX, Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, and Common, I grew a desire to write something just as impactful. Often I sit in a dark room until the early hours of the morning creating rhyming couplets and eventually songs that expressed more about myself than I could ever thought possible.
    

   4. It tells a story that the audience can relate to- Much like most genres of music, Hip Hop found a core audience that related to the stories that were being told on the microphone. Now, the reason a particular listener relates to a song or to an artist may vary, the truth holds steady: the audience sees themselves in the art that is being created. This is why the audience is so drawn to the music in the first place.  

Music has always been an art form that allows the listener and the artist to bond over a shared experience or topic. For a select few, this enjoyment goes further an just sharing the experience, in actually it becomes a window into the soul of the artist. For those that take the first steps into creating their own clever punch lines and lyrics, a new artist is born. This is were I have lived for the greater part of 15 years. Words have become my best friend, my confidant and my companion. When I hear the phenomenal lyrics of these Hip Hop artists, I can only imagine that the artists' relationship with words is very much the same.   

Here’s the truth: we never really understand our potential until we are forced to push to our furthest potentials. This is never more evident than Freestyle rapping. Freestyle wrapping is an art form of Hip Hop that allows the artist to tell a story through recited poetry. The verses that are usually performed are not written, but created on the spot.  The ability to do this, and do it well is a skill that few have. It allows the artist to express themselves while they create their impact through their words. In order to be great at this art form, one must practice for countless hours and constantly look for new words to use that will better develop their story.  
Throughout this life we go through too many ups and downs to count.  In order to conquer the various difficulties, we must be willing to be stretched to our furthest potential. Regardless of what our talent is that we are trying to develop, or whatever career we are trying to find success in, we will have to be stretched t our furthest potential.
Throughout this freestyle, I discuss my desire to leave my past behind and begin something new. I realize that in order to better myself, I could no longer pile the negative thoughts and expectations that have been handed to me over the years. I needed to fill my life with thoughts and expectations on myself. When it comes to expectations, it seems that we all face difficulties and it seems that there are always people who force their negative thoughts on us. In those times, we must throw those thoughts and expectations away and we must build up the positive thoughts.
Throughout the years that I’ve learned about myself I realized that I have great potential, but I realize that I need to keep searching for my potential and actually reaching for my potential. I am thankful that God has blessed me with the talents. I am now in a place where I must work hard for the potential to grow. I must practice my skill as well as allowing my writing, rapping and poetry to be experienced by the audience.
What are your areas of potential? What are you doing to reach your potential? What are you working hard to fulfill your dreams? I understand that we all have our goals and I believe that we should do the hard work to fulfill our dreams.
Have you eliminated the negative thoughts and expectations in order begin your journey to reach your potential? Have you allowed yourself to speak some positive thoughts and expectations in your life?

“Life is a beautiful struggle.
People search through the rubble for a suitable hustle.
Some people using their noodle, some people using their muscle,
Some people put it all together, make it fit like a puzzle.”
 
These words were written and recited by Brooklyn native rapper Talib Kweli in the song, “I Try” from the “Beautiful Struggle” album, which was released in 2004. When I first heard this album, I was in high school and I borrowed the album from a friend of mine. I must have worn that CD out because I listened to it so much.

My friend lent me that album for just about a week, and I must have listened to that album on a constant loop for the entire time I had the physical copy in my possession. Every day my friend would ask me what I thought about the album and I couldn’t help but share my pure excitement for this album. When the time came for me to finally return the album to my friend, I couldn’t do it. I had to own it for myself.

Soon I found myself in a music store looking for the album, my allowance burning a hole in my wallet just waiting to be spent on this amazing piece of art. I found it! I bought it! Yet, I never opened the case of the physical copy. Instead, I brought the newly purchased album to school the next day and presented the CD to my friend. I explained to him that I used his physical copy so much that it never actually left my CD player and I wanted it for myself. I also explained to him that I felt better giving him the newly purchased copy as opposed to the copy that has been continuously rotating through my CD player for the last week or so. He accepted my gift.

Talib Kweli is a natural born poet, who uses his colorful words to empower people and give many an outlook on life experiences that they may be unknowledgeable of. For a child like myself, I was able to connect with his lyrics on multiple levels s and gained an introspect look at my life and the lives of so many more. I seemed to soak his verses in and learned from them all, making me stronger and more knowledgeable with every listen.

In 2004 when I first heard “The Beautiful Struggle” especially the above quote I realized that it was a smart album with plenty of uplifting lyrics that one could hold on to in difficult times, what I didn’t realize was just how deep this particular quote would go for me.

“ Life is a beautiful struggle.
People search through the rubble for a suitable hustle.
Some people using their noodle, some people using their muscle,
Some people put it all together, make it fit like a puzzle.”

By simply reading this quote you can see that Talib Kweli is summing up life in a single lyric. This thing called life is a struggle, it is difficult at times. Sometimes it seems unbearable or insurmountable. Yet, we fight on.

Too often it seems that our life has crumbled, leaving rubble all around us. Yet, we search on. The question is: what are we searching for? According to the verse it says that we are searching for a suitable hustle. In other words we are searching for a way to re-build our lives from the rubble that we are surrounded by.  We are searching for the one thing that we love to do and the one thing that we are good at. The one thing that we can use to make this a better place for all involved. Talib Kweli continues, as any good writer does, by giving examples of the types of “hustles” that people find.

“Some people using their noodle”-As we go through this life and face our own set of difficult times, we learn a lot about who we are and what we are capable of. One of the ways that people re-build their lives and create a better world for the person around them is that is that they are driven by knowledge. They teach, they create, and they write, they build, they design.
“Some people using their muscle,”- While there is a set of people are using the knowledge that they have to make the world better, there is another set of people that use their hands. They have jobs of labor and service. These jobs are very important to our society and our communities.

So, why was this quote so important to me? Also, why has it become more important to me as I grow?
The world that we live in is a struggle, it is difficult and too often we are left in a heap of rubble as we search through talents and skills to figure out how we can contribute to this world in the best way. The older I get the deeply I understand this concept. Recently I have been spending time search for the best way for me to contribute to this struggling world to make it more beautiful.

Here’s the key to life: Life is beautiful!

Yes, it’s a struggle, but through that struggle that we learn what our strengths truly are and how we can use them to grow into the people we are suppose to be. We begin to re-model the rubble of our lives to reveal a beautiful piece of art. Our past hurts and abuses help mold and shape us to be better people, but in order to do that we need to find a way to fit all of the pieces together, similar to a puzzle.

In our times of difficulty, we need to keep searching, searching for more opportunities to make a difference. In our lowest moments, we need to keep our heads facing our ultimate goals and strive for those goals without wavering. Most importantly, we cannot forget that even though life is a struggle, it is beautiful and it is worth searching through and fighting for.  

“Life is a beautiful struggle.
People search through the rubble for a suitable hustle.
Some people using their noodle, some people using their muscle,
Some people put it all together, make it fit like a puzzle”

Do we ever get to see the end of the day,

Or is it just the beginning to a new one?

The sun's light shines in continuous rays,

A new world to see lit by a new sun.

Every day is new,

Every night is fresh.

So, everyday what will you do

to make that day the best?

How will you see the world today?

What more can you learn?

What words will you learn to say?

what thoughts will your mind turn?

Every day is new,

Every night is fresh.

So, what 's new that you can do

to make today the best?

You can create a world of imagination,

you can run around in play.

you can build and design a new creation.

Just never fall away.

You can make new friends,

you can spend time with loved ones.

You can learn just how the road bends,

you can teach how the road runs. 

Every day is new,

Every night is fresh.

So, everyday what will you do

to make that day the best?

Have you ever just sat and thought about the way things are?
Have you ever just sat and thought about the way things are?
Have you ever just sat and thought about the way things are?
Have you ever just sat and thought about the way things are?
I sit here thinking, looking at my past,
Wondering, what are the questions that I really have to ask?
Do I really have to look and understand every step?
Or can I actually go ahead and give myself some pep?
To move forward and understand that I’m man enough to know,
Every reason that I had in the past it must go.
I must grow and that means I must step,
Forward one more time and not lose one step.
So, God I pray that you would be with me in these days,
That I look inside of my life and everything is a daze.
I’m really trying to understand exactly what to say,
I don’t know what to say, so it seems I can’t pray.
I’m trying, my God; I’m sitting in my knees.
I’m praying you would understand, I pray you hear my pleas.
I pray that you would feel everything in my heart,
Because it seems that the place that I live is so dark.
Look where I was,
I was barely functioning over everything I really was.
I was very open about who I was.
Now I’m stuck in this shattered place that I never really wanted to be.
I looked inside my past I really didn’t want to see,
The thing in my life that would finally set me free.
So, God let me be the person that I am,
And give me solid ground for me to finally stand
On my own two feet when I rap against this beat.
I really want to say, “Nothing could ever have me beat!”
I know just when my past shows us to say,
“You don’t got nothing, you’re just going astray.”
That’s what it said in the darkness of the pit
Of my stomach and every time I sat there to quit.
I really couldn’t anymore, I couldn’t let myself
Fall anymore and fall up off the shelf.
I got stand up. I’ve got to finally fix my problems.
 Understand that I can’t there and let someone else resolve them.   
 I can’t! I’ve got to be a man. I’ve got to live
A little more; that means I have a little extra to give.
I’ve got to go ahead and give my energy to life.
That means that I’ve got to go ahead and give my energy to Christ.
So, wait a minute, what am I supposed to say today?
God, I just pray you hear the words that I pray.
Fill my heart with your joy, every single moment.
And understand that I know the devil’s my opponent.
I won’t be beat because you already have the victory,
But I have to be able to see it to live it so visually.
So, thank you for the days that I’ve had,
For the vision that I have, for the fact that I can turn to my heavenly dad.
Because I’ve seen my past, I’ve run it through my memories.
And you were the one who’s asking me to remember thee.
 So, I know that I must remember your words, remember your spirit.
Remember your love and finally take time to hear it.
Hear the words that you said, hear the words that you uttered;
Hear the words that had me close my doors and my windows shutters.
And I don’t know why, but I was shut down to it.
And you were the one who would finally come down to it.
You gave your life so that I can finally breathe.
You went ahead and decided that you would leave.
All because you knew you had to go and lead,
Myself because I knew that I would sit and bleed.
If I didn’t stand up and walk under your path,
Because I knew you already had it together, you knew the math.
So, I’m thankful, no matter what it is. I’m raised up.
All because you knew my day’s up.
The time has come for me and you to be one.
And understand everything that we have ever done.
Thank you God, I pray that I would profit off your love,
Not talking about money.
I’m talking about knowing your truth, knowing your wisdom and your guidance.
Being excited for your love and not being able to hide it.
So, I’m thankful! Thankful for that day that I sat there so amazed,
Because you knew my days and you loved me anyway and you love me every day.
This is all I have to say just went I pray!
Thank you.  

The love of man is blind to real truth,

it loves unable to see or acknowledge forgiveness.

Man tears itself apart,

believing the imaginary path they walk is meant to be.




It crumbles without reason or purpose,

maintaining the idea that true love is easy,

not requiring the input of hard work or even more effort.

Love is meant to be effortless, right?




Man devours itself not seeing the destruction,

turning a blind eye to the choas,

hoping the eye of their heart is all-seeing,

Not seeing that they have destroyed their sight with "love".




Man claims to have a true wisdom of love, 

we teach from our life lessons to the next generation.

What have we learned? listen to what it is they say,  

"Love can not exist because I have yet to see a relationship last."




We say that love is blind,

believing it so fervently that we are blinded,

unable to visualize true Love because we have never experienced it.

So, how can we truly understand it or even show it to others?




What about God?

We admit that God created our world,

but we deny Him of His glory when we don't see His views as valuable.

We follow the idea that there is no way He could teach us about Love.




God is so passionate about showing us Love

that He dressed Himself as man to live Love out,

and He died to prove that Love has no limits in expression.

He is Love;  know Him, Love Him.




We say that Love is blind but God is not blind.

God can see the darkest aspects of our lives,

knowing how we place our affections on everything else, not Him alone.

God unveils Love for us by allowing us to seek Him daily. 



Yet we would rather walk in blindness,

not knowing that through God our sight will be restored.

So, we will continue to be trapped in the lies of man

until we decide that God's definition of Love is perfect.




What Love do you have?

A Poem by Anthony Giesick

People say I haven't been through a lot,

why?

Is it because I am so young that it is impossible for me to ever go through:

Hurt, pain, depression, loneliness, rejection, abuse, and even suicidal thoughts?

Maybe it's because I have a mother and father.

A family that loves me dearly and strengthens me when I'm weak.

Maybe it's due to where I am now:

a nice job, great friends, and a smile on my face.

A blessed life.

But wait, you can't tell that it's always been easy.

You can't calculate the hours in my room,

counting countless tears and wishing things were different.

You can't comprehend the infinite thoughts running through my mind within minutes.

Try to fathom a child watching his father drink his life away,

With each swallow the fabric of the family crumbles.

Every bottle finished brings the near end to all that he knows.

Or take the time to see when a young teen becomes father to his brother and sister,

because Dad just left,

choosing a life of abuse and coping mechanisms instead of his family.

Now, the family infrastructure breaks down,

no longer the foundation he needs.

Self-esteem no longer visible,

head hangs love from lack of affection.

loveless is a venom propelling through veins,

causing a wicked sickness to attack the heart.

Even at his "young" age he feels the effects.

What about the ones who look into the mirror,

they hate what see and they hate the fact that they hate what they see.

Our skin is not the right shade.

Our body is not what we want to see.

Our clothes don't fit the way we first imagined.

No matter what we do we don't fit our own standard.

We are imperfect, broken and desperate for attention.

Not to mention those who just feel ignored.

On the surface it looks like I have everything in prospective,

but no one even knows I exist.

My parents hassle me, and all I want to see is them happy.

So, I break my back, and my rules, just for approval,

and I never get it.

Because of that I stopped trying.

So, before you say I'm "too young" remember when you were my age,

where you "too young"?

you faced everything I am,

yet you are un-sympathetic to my condition.

You refuse to see that I am hurting,

masking it by saying, "This is too much, too soon. You're too young."

But really, am I?

Your utterances indicate that I am blind,

but I must ask,

Am I blind to it all or are you?

You see, I take all that I have been handed,

and with a smile I stand strong.

I will continue to be strengthened as I graciously stand my ground.

When I am weak, God is strong.

I will continue with my head held high,

and I will no longer ignore those are younger than I.

I know we can withstand all that is placed on our path, regardless of our age.

So, please stop seeing my age as a limit,

like it's an excuse to live as if there is no answer to the difficult questions.

Because there is an answer!

There is a voice for this lost generation.

Through all we see, and do, we have hope.

God, the one true answer,

has given us strength to answer His call,

even at our inexperience.

So, please stop seeing my age as a handicap,

but instead see it as your opportunity to love and guide me in righteousness.

And let me do the same for you.

"Let no man despise thy youth: but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."  1 Timothty 4:12

There once was a man, a writer.

He spent hours in his room.

From the outside one would hear

the pounding of the typewriter keys 

mixed with pacing footsteps.

The rhythmic pattern was so consistant,

one could see the writer's devoted concentration

through the wooden door.

Like a movie montage, the hours on the clock rushed by,

the writer never leaving his room.

When the writer finally emerged from the room,

leaving his completed work on his desk,

he left satisfied.

One word, that is all that was typed on the single sheet.

The perfect word.

The author refined his work to one word.

He was confident in its perfection.

Words are precious.....

They should not be used without consideration

and thrown away just as quickly.

One may sit in silence,

pondering an accurate word to depict the perfect picture.

Every thought considered, but not every thought spoken.

But what happens to the thoughts not mentioned?

What could have happened if these ponderings were articulated?

How would life change with a simple, "I love you"

or simply saying, "You're important to me"?

the power of the spoken word is unfathomed,

yet perfectly understood at the right time.

Therefore the use of the spoken word should be done with discernment,

yet should not be avoided.

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue:

and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Proverbs 18:21

While it is wise to keep evil from our lips,

how does one explain not expressing life through our tongues?

Are we paralyzed by our own fears,

not seeing the vibrant life we can offer?

Do we run through every scenario,

not realizing the simple fact that we can speak life into the situation?

Let us take the chance......and speak.

Learn to use our words carefully, yet use our words effectively.

Plan what we said diligently, yet let fear not prevent our verbal impact.

For it is said,

"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life:" Proverbs 15:4.

The time has come for us to speak our minds,

to speak with discretion, yet unbound to all limits.

Find that perfect word and speak.

Every so often you come across something special; something that reminds you of your first love: Hip Hop. I just recently came across an album that reminded me of why I love Hip Hop and the reasons why I love this outstanding artistry.
The album was: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made.” At my first couple of listens I knew that this album was a great follow up to the extremely popular “The Heist” (Which was an amazing album in its own right).
As what was so evident in “The Heist”, “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made” continued a retrospection that only these two Seattle hit-makers can do.  A retrospection that allows the audience to follow the mental journeys of Macklemore though his well crafted lyrics and Ryan Lewis’ mood setting melodies and production.
The Production
                Now, you can’t talk about a Hip Hop album without talking about the production. As you may have come to expect from a Macklemore and Ryan Lewis album, there are so many sounds that are reminisces of the past as well as sounds of the future. Listening to the various tracks that were created and used for this project, you get a sense that Ryan Lewis a fan of various types of music which inspires his own sounds and methods of production on an album. Every single beat that was created for this album was molded perfectly to the tone of the song, which impacted the entire mood of the album.
                Songs like “Buckshot” (Featuring KRS-One and DJ Premier) had a great hint of old school Hip Hop that you would hear in the early years of the musical genre. The song was fun loving and an easy listen to a true Hip Hop fan. I especially loved the use of the classic record scratching that we rarely hear in the genre anymore.
                Now, I don’t want to overlook the production of the album because production is so crucial to a successful album. The beats that are used set the mood for the song and the album. If the beat gets people dancing, then the audience will further enjoy the lyrics to the song. If the instrumental allows the listener to become retrospective, then they will be lead to a place of self discovery. When it comes to “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made” the work that Ryan Lewis and the rest of the team put in shows and it all fits so well. When the audience is asked to party and have fun, the music leads them through the process. With the deep thinking songs, the instrumentals perfectly complemented the words of the songs, setting the tone for the entire album.  
The Lyrics
                As Macklemore has already proven that he a very lyrical emcee who is not afraid to discuss inspective topics as well as topics that should get people talking. I truly believe that Macklemore is a deep thinker and that shines through on the lyrics of this album. One of the examples of Macklemore’s lyrical gifting is “Growing up” which is a song that he and Ryan Lewis did with the help of Ed Sheeran. The song is a soft sounding dedication to Macklemore’s children and his desire to raise them properly.
“I’ll be patient, one more month
You'll wrap your fingers 'round my thumb
Times are changing, I know, but who am I if
I'm the person you become
If I'm still growing up, up, up, up
If I'm still growing up, up, up, up
I'm still growing up”
The hook of “Growing up” is a great example of the questions that may go through a new father’s mind. It follow the thought process that parents are still human’s that are growing and learning as they get older. Evidently when you become a parent, you realize that the person that you are acting as is the person that your child is going to soon become. Macklemore thinks that through a step further by asking: Who am I if I’m the person you become if I’m still growing up?
Along with Macklemore’s ability and willingness to dig deep into his mind and look into topics of heavy discussion, he has also shown that he is very creative as well as humorous with his lyrics. With songs like “Downtown ” (Featuring Melle Mel, Grandmaster Cas, Kool Moe Dee and Eric Nally) where he explains his desire to buy a moped and ride through downtown causing chaos and turning heads. The song has an old school Hip Hop sound of horns and group chants. It’s a fun song to listen to while walking or driving through the city streets.
                The Implication
                As one journeys through Macklemore’s in depth tales, the intent listener will be faced with a plethora of challenging questions and concepts that should not only be asked, but conversed about with a variety of people from numerous backgrounds. Topics such as the seemingly unlawful treatment of patients and the abuse of prescription drugs to Hollywood’s insatiable desire to glorify themselves through award shows and the fashion industry. These thought provoking songs allow the audience to gather information from Macklemore’s vault of knowledge and begin a conversation that may challenge their own thoughts and opinions.
This thought provoking ability couldn’t be more evident than the closing statements of the album, “White Privilege II”. This song takes a look at current day racism in America. Throughout the song you get a sense of Macklemore’s desire to stand for something bigger than himself and his music mixed with the internal struggle of his motive.  It seems that Macklemore struggles with his popularity and how that impacts generations after him as he either stands up for equality or lets it go past. This is a topic that I feel can easily get swept under the rug and many times, it does.
“You speak about equality, but do you really mean it?
Are you marching for freedom, or when it's convenient?
You want people to like you, want to be accepted
That's probably why you are out here protesting.
Don't think for a second you don't have incentive.
Is this about you, well, then what's your intention?”
                This quote raises a great discussion of a person’s motive of why they get involved in any sort of politically or social injustice. I believe that we have to ask ourselves if we are getting involved only to fulfill our own intention or to make us feel a sense of holy or righteous.
                As a man of faith listening to this album I am faced with a variety of heavy topics of discussion that need to be discussed by all types of people. Throughout this album I ponder on our culture’s stance on these topics and how my mind has been shaped over the years to fit a specific mold. Now, I am challenged to discuss, tackle and grow of the various topics.
                Whether Macklemore is making the audience think deeply about societal subjects or making feel good funny music that gets or heading nodding, it’s clear that he and his production partner Ryan Lewis are a team that will be around for many years to come. It’s evident that they will continue to entertain the masses as well as get them thinking. As a Hip Hop fan, it is refreshing to hear an album that brings back the fun loving music that made this genre so popular along with the loaded discussions that we need to discuss.