Yasmin Shiraz

People across the world have made some profound statements in 2009–everyone from a former first lady to a former hooker. It goes to show that everybody has something profound to say at one time or another.

1. ‘There are kids like Precious everywhere. Each day we walk by them: young boys and girls whose home lives are dark secrets.’ – Former First Lady Barbara Bush after screening the Precious movie in her hometown of Houston.
   

   50 Cent on Stage

2. ‘Rappers are like fighters—they go in the gym for the first time and they might not be prepared. And they’ll come at me prematurely and I’ll spank them. I’ll win, without it even going 12 rounds… And they never quite know when to quit, and they stick around like fighters until they’re not as good as they were.’ – 50 Cent on other rappers
3. ‘Here you have all these girls accepting gifts, money, trips from Tiger in exchange for sex…And I was the hooker?’ – Ashley Dupre’ (Eliot Spitzer Call Girl commenting on Tiger Woods’s alleged jump-offs)
4. ‘We continue to project an irrational desire for the physically perfect to be the spiritually strong.’ – Journalist, Julia Baird on the outrage on the Tiger Woods scandal
5. ‘There’s always consequences behind certain things and repercussions behind them, too. And then you have to wake up every day and face the world, whether they perceive you in the right perspective, it’s a totally different outlook on you. You have to be strong, believe in yourself, be optimistic. That’s what I’ve been able to do. That’s what I display.’ – Michael Vick, Eagles Quarterback on his comeback story
6. ‘There is no woman today who can play in the NBA. But you have to admit that women players have improved a great deal over the last decade, and who’s to say there won’t be a freakish athlete who comes along over the years ahead?’ – NBA Commissioner David Stern defending his statement that he believes that women will someday play in the NBA
7. ‘It wasn’t until I saw this woman named Oprah Winfrey doing this show called ‘People Are Talking’ [a local talk show Winfrey co-hosted while she was at Baltimore's WJZ-TV] that I said ‘That is what I want to do right there.’ Actress, Mo’Nique speaks on her start
   
8. ‘There’s no such thing as a secret snitch…’ – T.I. speaking on former protege being DEA informant
   
9. ‘It just didn’t ring true to me. It felt like a dream… It’s still so difficult for me to believe. It’s hard. You have to move on with your life. You have to accept what is and I understand that.” – Janet Jackson on brother Michael’s death

50 Cent on Stage

I’m thinking about turning Friday into “Lyrical Friday” where I get to post something on lyrics that stand out to me. Well, first up, “Baby By Me” by 50 Cent. In the hook, 50 Cent raps,

“Have A Baby By Me Baby Be A Millionaire. Have A Baby By Me Baby Be A Millionaire.”

I stopped for a minute and thought about it. We all know that 50 Cent is loaded so I get his perspective. But what if 50 Cent was deep and was saying to all the women who are out there having babies by the scrubs, never-had-a-job brothers that if you are going to have a child, have it with someone who can provide for you and your child? What if 50 Cent was really sending that message out?

Fiddy was on the radio in DC the other day and a young lady called in and said, “My babydaddy is garbage. I need you to take me to Georgetown to go shopping.” SMH. Well, had this young lady adhered to ‘Baby By Me’ she’d have a child support check from a paid baby daddy. If you’re potential baby daddy’s hook is “Have A Baby By Me Baby, We’ll Be On Welfare,” you should run in the opposite direction. -Just a thought -

Maybe 50’s next song will be, “Get married to me baby, be a billionaire. Get married to me baby, be a billionaire.”

What do you think? In his song, “Baby by Me” is it Irresponsible Lyrics or Good Advice? How many folks do you know who could have benefitted from that advice? Real responses only.

I gotta give props to my girl, LJ Knight, over at YeahISaidIt.com for putting this 50 Cent ad up first. But my goodness, 50 Cent is hardly recognizable in this Power by 50 cologne advertisement.

Fifty is that you or is that Tyson Beckford? People always talk about women “wanting” to be photoshopped to look thinner and prettier, but this remake of 50 Cent takes the cake. I doubt if his mama would know him looking at this picture. So I have to ask you, has this photoshop thing gone too far? Did the graphic artists behind this ad create a 50 Cent that we don’t even recognize. Come on, tell me. 50, is that you? And do you lose your street cred by being photoshopped to this extent? Inquiring minds want to know!

On the plus side, if I was into buying men’s cologne, the ad looks hot. I might buy it. I had to say that.