We’ve got a goal of getting 100 members by November 1st, 2008. Remember, every new member in our circle means more networking, more discussions, more opportunity to represent yourselves to a target audience, something seemingly lost in the world of High Stakes Marketing. This site is for us! The Hip Hoppers, to build back that excitement we once had, and perhaps lost.

Invite like-minded friends and artists (no, this ain’t myspace. If ya cousin ‘nem got lil wayne pics… keep ‘em there.), professionals, etc to join our home!

We can grow together, it’s up to you!

Knyte.

Aight, now that we’ve got things rolling a little, I just wanted to holla at those who sign up  but don’t add on. This only works if we come together as a community networking for the greater good of Hip Hop and our personal goals…

For so long I’ve heard folk say “If someone could just hear me, hear my music, see my pictures and put me on, hear my track and know I’m nice.”

That’s all I’m trying to do here. Yeah, it says Knaptyme on the front… So! This can be your home to make it however you want! Invite friends, professionals, colleagues!

Use the group feature! It’s not just for the Label. Enjoy yourselves and make your voice heard!

D. Knyte

Aight, life done kicked Knyte into a palce where he needs to be. So there it is, no apologies but a brother been working. So whoever out there actually reading this… I’ve launched knaptymesoldiers.ning.com it’s the flagship of the label right now. We’re all gathering forth. Also I’m introducing a new line of Knaptyme Entertainment, Knaptyme Modeling.

We are kicking off Knaptyme Modeling with our Featured and Flagship Model Ms. Alyse. I ment her on OKP years ago and she ’s a sexy young  Ohio native with a great intelligence and a superior grasp of true Hip Hop and it’s cultural impact.

Come kick it with us and see all the new music and new happenings popping off in Knaptyme’s Allustrious Universe,

Knyte.

**This is from my AfroAmerican Pie blog**

Plausible Separation

The Art of Causing Racism by Attempting to Defeat It

Last night, after a long day at the office, I picked up my son from the sitter, fed him and let him play, cooked spaghetti with meat sauce and waited for my wife to come home from work. Once she arrived and settled herself we turned on the television to entertain us as we ate. Soon, time came around to put the baby down for the night. After that, my wife turned to me and asked “What time is it?”

“Nine o’clock” I replied and she went on to tell me that Black in America was coming on CNN and she wanted to watch it. I looked at her like she was crazy but I turned the channel anyway.

Fifteen minutes into the program I was livid…well, actually I was livid when she asked me to tune in but I decided to give it a chance anyway. Bad move. As we viewed this “enlightening” program, I realized something. Why do we need an after school special to highlight just exactly what is WRONG in our community. Do these producers realize that when you say “Sally Mae went to college, as did her whole family,” A lot of us hear either “Ooh, blacks CAN go to college…” or a sarcastic “The amount of successful blacks can be counted on one proverbial hand”…

And if in the same segment, not less than one scene later you show the exact opposite. When you show a young black man, obviously disinterested in school, at home in mid day with his chest exposed and underwear over the top of his jeans with a cheering squad to get him to go to class in the background… we know not to expect great things. The sad part is, the producers of this farce were more interested in highlighting the educational disparities of the communities, i.e. 70% of all students’ graduate high school and only 50% of black students graduate.

Um… excuse me ladies and gentlemen, but I think we all know that.  I think all members of the Black community know that, as we are constantly reminded of the inequalities. Here’s my issue (one of several) why are we still segregated? Why are we still “Black IN America as opposed to being Black Americans? Why do we still have a month to celebrate our history instead of a true integration of African history into American history in schools from grammar to university level institutions? Our history is more than a few paragraphs on Dr. Martin Luther King and wearing kinte cloth.

Also, why are we being spotlighted on the eve of Presidential history? Could it be an attempt to reaffirm certain stereotypes others have about us and that we have about ourselves? Could it be viewed as unfair propaganda? Possibly.

There are those who will say I am wrong for seeing this the way I do. Others would say it makes sense to highlight the achievements and accomplishments of our people. To that I don’t disagree but to view graduating high school as a major accomplishment is an insult. To show us going to college tells me our college-educated members are unicorns.

The Black experience is the American experience, period. Until that day is won, we will always be outcasts in our own country.

When The Filipinos In America, The Asians In America, The Hispanics In America, The Jews In America, Italians In America, Arabs In America etc shows come on CNN I may not be as cynical, but as of today, I’m calling a spade a spade and Anderson Cooper, you are on notice.

And I’m back on the Grind-zilla! I made 4 more tracks over the weekend and posted them on myspace.com/darkknyte (check the blogroll…) Some true bangers there (I know…I know… we all say that!)

Spoke to my main mizzle EMC out of the BFD Crew in Brooklyn, and we’ll be linking this week, so mixed down versions of these and all music coming ferociously from the sanctuary soon!

This rebuilding effort is a little rough going but I can see clear through to the future and it makes me smile.

If you were ever an emcee 5 years ago, 20 years ago and still feel like you have a voice, something to contribute regardless of how “old” your age tells you… this is the reason why we still rock. Join us, support us, the movement is growing…

Well, the NBA draft has come and gone and again….my Knicks have surprised me with the only pick they had this year.  Not knocking the european player, or the link he has with our new coach, but #1 he’s not been scouted as much as the other picks who were of equal or greater draft value, #2 we are in restructuring mode. We need real help. I just don’t know if this kid is that impact, team-changing player the Knicks need.

We’ve already got plenty of young talent on our bench that we’re using… wrongly.  I mean Wilson Chandler, Randolph Morris, and this is just from last year. Agreed, Marty Collins needs to wake up a lil bit and play ball, but that may not be entirely his fault. Reynaldo Balkman needs to spend some gym time shooting mid range and practicing to finish at the rim because with all his energy and great defensive play, his liability at the offensive end gives the other team reason to play off him and use that man as an extra defender on our more offensive threats.

We as Knicks have one great liability as a whole however and its not a 20/10 player, it’s not lack of leadership on the court, it’s us. Our biggest issue facing the New York Knicks is how we treat and look at our team, and how our team lost the meaning of being a Knick.

Would we ever have booed a Patrick Ewing-led Knick squad? Hell no. As a matter-of-fact, when the Knicks were led by head coach Hubie Brown and they had players like Rory Sparrow, Trent Tucker and Bill Cartwright at the center we were a “bottom-tier” squad and no boos.

Today’s Knick fans have forgotten “the dunk” the “four-point play” and all of the spirit of Madison Square Garden. In turn, the Knick players have forgotten heart. They have forgotten that before the 90s seasons, we hadn’t seen true success in the playoffs since 1973. Knick players are playing for a paycheck and nothing more.

Stephon Marbury is no leader. I don’t care if his contract is up next year or in 10 years. He’s been a Knick since 2000. His being from New York should have spoken volumes to that true Knick tenacity but alas, our hopes of continuing in the traditions of Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy have been dashed. We’ve had 5 coaches in 7 years. We’ve traded away Antonio McDaniels & Nazr Mohammed (who have since gotten rings), We have dead weight on our roster that is almost impossible to move. We are “still” waiting for Eddy Curry to decide to be a beast in this league but his work-ethic (or lack thereof) keeps us wishing this big 7 foot ‘tough guy” would just trade away…

Our team has given us nothing to support, and so we have no support left. We’re still New Yorkers, and still Knick fans as I’ll always be. But it has becoming increasingly hard to watch a lazy, no heart having squad wear the same uniform as Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Patrick Ewing, Dave Deboucher, Bill Bradley, Mark Jackson, Bernard King, Rod Strickland, Larry Johnson, Anthony Mason, Marcus Camby, John Starks, Latrell Sprewell, Charles Oakley…

So I hope this draft pick helps. But Knicks… you need more than draft picks, “elite” players or blockbuster trades. You simply need to watch game films from the 70s, 80s and 90s… understand what it means to BE a Knick before you dive into the uniform.

We love you, why don’t you love us back?

That’s right I’m a fan, ya’ll… if you agree let me know, if you think we need more, let me know, if you can put these words in front of a Knick so they know how the fans feel, do it, and let us know what they say.  Some how, some way, we need to get to these players and let them know “why” we disapprove, not just that we do. Booing doesn’t work. What will?

Okay, so I was walking out of a 7-Eleven last night up the block from the cribb-o when this dude, a passenger in a Denali or some kinda big-assed nice truck calls out to me. Now, I just moved back to this place but I used to live here years ago. Occasionally I bump into folk from back in the day so when dude yelled for me and waved like YO! I assumed he was one of those oldie-but-goodies. I walk up to the car (I don’t know sun, but I be easy about it).

Dude is like “What’s good man…”

“What’s happening Captain…”

“Well man, see my foot, I messed it up a few weeks ago and I haven’t been able to work…”

“Um…kay…”

“So I was wondering if you could hit me with a couple of $$ for gas. I mean, can you help a brother out…”

I’m standing there like… dude, you’re a PASSENGER! It ain’t even your truck and you asking me for gas money… wow. Yo Barack, let’s get with these gas prices yo… this stuff is making passengers beg for gas money…

**in another gas story, I think my older sister got me for gas this weekend. We shot out to LI for a wedding and her man paid the gas and tolls. Next day she hit me like… Oh, Im a need that $35… I’m like what $35? I ain’t spend THAT much going to Maryland on trips…

Yeah, she got me…

Knyte.

My peoples at Hiphopproject.com have hooked your man up on a new mixtape coming through the Chicago Hip Hop waves. The mixtape is called Green and it features an instrumental track from us called “Guerilla Tactics”. To get ahold of this marvelous new project, just go to

hiphopproject.com

Things are moving ya’ll… stay tun-ed!

Knyte.

First and foremost, a shout out to The Eastern Conference Champs, and NBA World Champion Boston Celtics!

No, I am not the biggest Celtics fan in the world, nor am I a bandwagoneer. My uncle Sylvester Bruce Jones Jr was a superior Celtics fan and if he were alive to see this series, he would have been proud of Paul, Kevin, Ray (especially Ray- Unk was an excellent jump shooter who stressed fundamentals)

Shout and Blessing to Reggie Lewis, God rest brother. That win was for you.

Well, on to label things. We are working with some folks to get the website up and ready. It’s gonna be costly for what we want to do, but it will be well worth it when it’s up, so if you are checking tis and us here, just wait until we’re rolling!

Congrats to Anger and his new wife!

Amir was Christened on Father’s Day. Thouhg I am not a Christian, I am still very happy that we have introduced him to spirituality and that’s the start. This being a Dad stuff is hard, but well worth it.

Just all around still grining. It’s time to make dreams come true and that’s exactly what we’re doing! Look out for Dark Knyte, Emaculate One, Solar Eclipse and I-Infinite! We’re coming! Anger is always a threat to Hip Hop safety, as he is D.Anger-ous!

Happy Hump Day!

Knyte

This is truly a happy day! Those of you who don’t know, our artist, D. Anger is currently serving the country in Iraq. This after tearing down the barriers in Hawaii to represent real hip hop in its truest form.  He just emailed me to let me know he’s good and needs me to create a track for him. 

He’s not only a major artist on the label, but my lil brother and fellow Black Lotus Clan alum.

This is a blessing and part of why the resurrgence of the label has become paramount. You (the world) will hear about this dude very soon.

We’re going to release some of his work between here and other sites (which I’ll privy you all to once it’s done) as well as a Knaptyme Family mixtape to be released in a hood near you by fall.

Once Anger is back in the world, be prepared for the overtaking!

Knyte!