I love hip-hop in the way one loves the last few seasons of a television show after it has already jumped the shark. Sure, it’s not what it used to be and you’re a little disappointed in the direction it’s taken, but it’s still one of the best things around and you’re thankful for all of the good times. Now that hip-hop has gone completely international it’s hard not to feel a sense of ownership when it comes to rap music — I mean, I am a black American from the Northeast and all. This is why I will laugh at anyone…

A few days ago Dj Stylus shared this video on Facebook and I haven’t been able to shake it since. He quipped, “I’m surprised that I saw this before Thembi, aka the mistress of all things obscure and Negronian.” Yeah thanks, but courtesy of  this video I’ve developed a mild phobia related to brown leather and fringes. I’d never seen Fox’s Celebrity Duets let alone this performance, but there is so much squatting and doing-the-most-ness on the part of Alphonso Ribero that Chaka Khan’s trademark extraness is almost a mere distraction. Just watch…

I know I’ve been slipping with timely posts of the quiz, but I keep realizing that I have to make them harder. Yes, you read that right. Here are this week’s standings…

Have you checked out Songza Sets yet? A Set is a collection of 12 songs based on a topic or theme, and I just guest-curated “Babyface Made R&B.” I had a weird sort of “non-sexual, sing-songs-to-me-with-your-ol’-curl-havin’-self” crush on him back in the day so I had a blast! Have a listen and let me know what you think.

Don’t get it twisted – the only criteria for “What The Eff?” Wednesday is that I post something that literally makes you mutter “what the efff?” to yourself. I do it only to be cruel and you know it. That is why you’re going to watch Trololo man, have the tune stuck in your head, and have a mild night terror or two based on this video.

Is it the fact that this man looks like some sort of deviant what makes Trololo scary, or is it the way he seems to be singing from his throat…

“The Grio’s 100″ is a comprehensive list of black influencers from ten fields: sports, education, business, science and the environment, media, service an activism, politics, health, pop culture, and the arts. The list is driven by the need to highlight the next generation of history-makers. We’d expect to see Oprah Winfrey listed as a leader in business and Lebron James at the top of the sports field, but are you familiar with Derek Pitts? As Chief Astronomer at The Franklin Institute he has the potential to make a major difference in the Science and Technology realm (he…

Ok, so here’s the thing. Actually three things.

1. I like watching people fight. I won’t make apologies for my fascination with fisticuffs but I’m not proud of it either.

2. I hate when people actually do fight. Seriously, what’s the point? Even my desire to watch a beatdown doesn’t trump the display of one of the saddest aspects of the human condition – some people think that violence is the answer.

Now watch this video.

3. Bearded old man wearing a fanny pack completely whoops the younger man wearing a flannel shirt and

The Rules:

1. Every Monday I will post a new set of trivia questions and you will have until the following Sunday evening at 8:00 pm to submit your answers to me via e-mail at quiz2010@whatwouldthembido.com. The best way to go about this is to copy and paste the quiz in the email. Please DO NOT post answers in the comments section.
2. I will post the answers

I’ve been slippin’ on my Old School Friday contributions but can’t pass up this week’s theme.

I’ll take any excuse to talk about Xscape. Do you understand how much I look(ed) like Latocha Scott, the big girl from the group? I’ve had a photo of her in place of my Facebook avatar for going on two weeks now and dozens of people have assumed that it’s really me and congratulated me on the sexy new glamour shots. Case in point: a comparison of my junior prom pic and one of Ms. Scott during the same era.

You guys really should become a member of the What Would Thembi Do? fanpage (see box in sidebar) because I share links and photos that don’t merit a whole post. Or maybe I just need to decide that they are important enough and be less choosy about what will force me to open up Wordpress and create said posts. Either way, I posted this little gem on the fanpage last night but woke up this morning still laughing about it. That means you shouldn’t miss it either. Click to enlarge, laugh then sigh.

It’s hard to believe that twenty years have passed since Nelson Mandela was freed and the African National Congress decriminalized as an organization, but February 11, 1990 began a new era of multicultural democracy in South Africa. I saw Nelson Mandela speak a few years ago and as inspirational as his talk was I couldn’t stop reminding myself that this man had endured twenty-seven years of imprisonment for challenging the unjust racist system of apartheid – while the world watched.

I am a very…I’m just very. V-E-R-Y. And if you can’t handle very, then I’m a douche bag. But I think the world needs a little very. That’s why black people love me. – John Mayer

Very full of crap is what he is. I never liked John Mayer. He’s a sloppy looking guy whose music is the sort they play in nail salons and waiting rooms. While I wasn’t paying attention this dude rose from awkward white kid on the adult contemporary

Whenever I see Christopher “Kid” Reid on VH-1 or in a random commercial I ask “where is Play?” Play is the one I had a crush on, the one who was *really* cute, and, frankly, more than 50% of the Kid N’ Play equation. Although I missed them on the Mo’Nique show I’d previously heard that Play (Christopher Martin) married and divorced Shari Headley of Coming To America fame, almost died in a car accident, and became a born-again Christian. Whatevas, I just wanna see Blade Brown do that dance and hear some nice clean buddy rap…

Black female entertainers have always walked a fine line between the stereotype of the vulgar, oversexed temptress and the large, asexual mammy figure. When it comes to creating a comedic persona, there’s nothing less-funny to black audiences than trite, overdone stereotypes (or, so I thought until Madea came along, but I digress**). Moms Mabley circumvented all of that by presenting herself as an toothless old lady in a bathrobe and raggedy hat who also had the foulest mouth around and couldn’t keep her mind off of sex.

I had to bring back these weekly updates because there’s too much random news to report! We’re barely on the other side of a new decade and it’s already attack of the 00’s.

The Guy From City High Trying To Go Dry Remember City High? Of course you do. They had two charting singles: What Would You Do? and Caramel, both in 2001. There was the cute girl (Claudette Ortiz), the guy who was in Sister Act 2 (Ryan Toby, left), and…the other

People always ask me, “Thembi, how do you find this stuff?” Well, this week I’m going to walk you through the process because there is no reason why a perfectly sane woman such as myself should be asking any questions about Corey Johnson. Please bear with me as I take you through the tragically painful journey of discovering all there is to know about this person.

It doesn’t seem like most of America is feeling the Hope anymore. Anyone could have predicted the fierce opposition that Obama has faced in office, and sadly he is on track to become a single-term mistake. How can Obama fix this? Well, in addition to the obvious need for progress on his campaign promises – health care, managing our two wars, and reviving the economy – Obama should reach for some low hanging fruit. If he does anything in his four years the least he can

After my much needed hiatus I’m refreshed and re-focused…well, sort of. Since I spent the first week of the new year laying low I only absorbed all of the motivational “let get it in 2010!” talk from afar, and am rejoining the online community in a regular winter blues state of mind. It’s cold. It’s not just December on the East Coast cold, it’s freezing. I spent my time away in FLORIDA where it was only fifty degrees or so, which is way better than the negative temperatures I would have faced at home but still a huge rip off

The most significant event of 2009 can’t be anything but Michael Jackson’s shocking death. We’ve had plenty of time to get used to the fact that he’s gone and contemplate the value of his contributions to music, style, and pop culture, and Spike Lee wraps it all up for us with the video for “This Is It.” The song has been an odd one to me since it’s October release – I get the feeling that the ballad, recorded by Michael in 1983, isn’t quite ‘perfect’ enough for his infamously strict standards. That aside, Michael’s voice combined with the beautiful…

Everyone who is anyone has a Christmas album, but in a rush to take advantage of our holiday cheer (i.e. trick us into buying bad music just because its Christmas-y) some artists have to cut corners on the cover art. Here are 10 prime examples of such ridiculousness.

10. “Naughty or Nice” – 3LW

The gall of 3LW to release a Christmas album at all (let alone with only two members, one of which is wearing a Christmas fur bra top)