Why Is The Govt. Killing Net Neutrality?

Recently, the FCC chairman appointed by President Donald Trump, Ajit Pai, has spearheaded a movement to end net neutrality. This is not surprising if you’ve been following the government’s feelings towards net neutrality for years like I have, but most people would wonder why congressmen would be so against net neutrality. I’ll try to answer that question as best as I can, but as with all things, it’s next to impossible to know every single detail of the situation. If you’re ambivalent to the idea of net neutrality, why are you reading this? You’re using the internet to read this, so you’re obviously an internet user. As an internet user, you should be against this legislation.

Net neutrality basically ensures that an internet service provider, or ISP, cannot discriminate against certain websites by promoting other websites or blocking users from accessing said website. This is important because the internet is a digital marketplace where currency is exchanged, meaning it should have the same regulations placed upon it as trade in real life. Monopolies are a big danger in regular trade, as it means that the suppliers of goods or services can charge whatever price they want regardless of supply and demand. If Walmart is allowed to merge with another large grocery store or retailer as much as they want, they will eliminate any sort of competition for their goods, which means that they can control the prices for these goods. Competition is essential to fair trade, and our government is trying to end fair trade on the web.

Why would they do this? Republicans are big on free trade, they hate regulations, but in this case, regulation is necessary. They are almost never against free trade, but in this case, they are all for monopolies on the web, even though the used similar arguments against Obamacare, like how it would monopolize healthcare in the United States. Democrats should be all for net neutrality, as it means that tax revenue could be more diversified were taxes on internet purchases implemented and that it ensures free speech. The only reason these politicians are against net neutrality is because ISPs such as Verizon and AT&T spend lots of money on lobbyists to get in the ear of politicians and encourage them to end net neutrality. I have no doubt in my mind that Ajit Pai and anyone else who supports ending net neutrality sees only dollar signs, and they’re willing to sell the privacy and and freedom of choice of the internet-using American public to internet service providers.

The results of this would be catastrophic. ISPs could literally block the websites of any competitor, or block any websites they so choose, and promote whatever websites they want. If a company has a deal with Windows and not Google, they could totally block Google, Google Chrome, YouTube, and other Google sites in favor of Bing, Internet Explorer, and whatever video-sharing website(s) Windows owns. Also, ISPs will be able to charge whatever they want to view certain sites, meaning that the sites you enjoy visiting for free will probably only be able to be visited if you pay a premium fee to the ISP. Personally, I don’t wish to pay an extra $50 a month to be able to use the websites I like to use every day. I’m a college student, I can’t afford that kind of thing.

In closing, I’d like to encourage you to contact your congressional representatives and inform them that you’re a constituent who can’t support them if they vote to end net neutrality. I’ve contacted every congressional representative for my area, and it was a really quick process. It may not stop this from happening, but being passive about this definitely won’t do anything to stop this either. No matter what side of the political aisle you’re on, you should support net neutrality. Remember: we, the people, have the power in this country, and we can change everything with a vote. Don’t sell yourself short, you can help save net neutrality, and the internet as a whole.

Is Kendrick Lamar The Greatest Rapper Of All Time?

The newest Kendrick Lamar album, DAMN., was released just a week ago. While it isn’t my favorite Kendrick Lamar album, it is likely the best hip-hop album since To Pimp A Butterfly in 2015, Kendrick’s last official full-length album, though there is a case to be made for Danny Brown’s Atrocity Exhibition, released last summer. DAMN. is by far Kendrick Lamar’s most contemporary project, but that doesn’t necessarily make it bad. Anyways, I’m not here to review DAMN., at least not until I’ve had a while to sit with it.

A popular discussion on the various music forums across the internet is who or what is the “greatest.” You’ll hear discussions about the greatest albums of all time, the greatest metal bands, the greatest singer-songwriters, etc. One extremely common one is “who is the greatest rapper of all time?” The most common names mentioned are Biggie, 2Pac, Eminem, Jay-Z, and Kanye West. Occasionally you’ll see an LL Cool J or an MC Ren, but that seems to be a fringe group.

My problem with these discussions are how quickly modern artists are exempt from the discussion. Gen-X hip-hop fans are quick to dismiss Drake and Tech N9ne, which I feel is warranted, but they lump in Kendrick Lamar with the “it’s new so it must be bad” crowd, which I feel is unfair. We can go on all day about rose-colored glasses, but I’d like to present my arguments in favor of Kendrick Lamar being the greatest rapper of all time.

1.) Kendrick Lamar represents a return to critical favor for hip-hop. I’m not saying that he started this trend, but hip-hop has moved towards more conceptual and artistic pursuits since the early and mid-00’s, arguably the worst period in the genre’s history. When you look at the music of Jay-Z and Eminem, it tends to be less experimental and conceptual than many of the albums released today. Not that being simple means that your music is bad, but it lowers the replay value of your projects, and it’s far more forgettable.

Kendrick Lamar has been using ingenious concepts and ideas in his music since good kid, m.A.A.d. city, but it isn’t too conceptual that it’s impossible to understand what’s going on or appreciate the music, in fact, the concepts are clear and it only enhances your appreciation of the music. He has gone far enough into left field to intrigue you, but not too far where he’s impossible to understand. His storytelling capacity reaches Bowie levels of complexity, but Dylan levels of simplicity, and he finds the perfect balance. In my opinion, Eminem and Jay-Z occupy the sphere of hip-hop that is easy to listen to, and shows moments of brilliance or wit, but never dwells in brilliance.

2.) Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur were exceptional lyricists with exceptional flow, but never ventured far from the familiar samples of the time. While that may be the fault of Bad Boy Records and Death Row Records as opposed to B.I.G. and Pac, it doesn’t offer much variety in terms of the sound. Biggie was a great technical rapper, perhaps the best ever, but his writing skills left much to be desired, as you can only take so much talk of sex, weed smoking, partying, and spending money before it gets old. 2Pac was the better writer, with songs ranging from racial and political issues to songs about his mother, but his flow was always the same with the words “feel me” or “show me love” interspersed all over this albums. Kendrick Lamar falls closer to 2Pac when it comes to his flow and writing style, but is a better writer and technical rapper in my opinion. He’s not as good a rapper as Biggie, but I think he comes close and then outdoes him when it comes to writing.

3.) Many critics of Kendrick Lamar claim that he doesn’t hold up when it comes to hits and beats. Many modern rappers in G.O.A.T. consideration have the advantage here, namely Kanye West and Drake. Yes, Kanye West has perhaps the best production in hip-hop, likely because he is a genius producer. If you don’t think Kanye is a genius, just listen to “Champion” from Graduation, “POWER” from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and any song from Yeezus, because these beats are absolute art. I would also say that Drake has some pretty solid beats, but they’re far too simple for my taste.

There’s no way that I can make the argument that Kendrick has better production value on his albums than Kanye West, but to me, I prefer the entire piece of work that Kendrick Lamar crafts. Kanye West used to rap about a wide array of topics in his first three outings and 808s and Heartbreak, but shifted to rapping about himself and his accomplishments with a small amount of topics being not-so-prominently featured on his subsequent works. Kendrick’s flow and writing skills blow Kanye and Drake out of the water, but I guess that’s the fault of the guys who write Drake’s rhymes. People still think that Drake has better beats than Kendrick, but I’ll argue that Drake’s beats are merely more appealing to the pop crowd and not necessarily objectively better… you won’t see George Clinton or Thundercat producing a Drake album.

4.) Kendrick Lamar has been extremely culturally relevant, especially when you consider that he’s only been in the mainstream consciousness since roughly 2012 when good kid, m.A.A.d city was released. His single, “Alright”, served as the unofficial theme song for Black Lives Matter, he was given the key to the city of Compton, and is an ambassador for the city. Kendrick Lamar’s influence is undeniable, even David Bowie took a few notes from To Pimp A Butterfly and created his swan song, Blackstar.

Never before has a hip-hop artist come so close to Dylan levels of cultural relevancy. Agree or disagree with what he’s saying in his music, it’s powerful. While Kanye was busy talking about bleached assholes, Kendrick has been talking about some of the most important questions our society is asking at this juncture. Eminem has been making the same album since 2002, Drake has other people writing his music, and older rappers such as Jay-Z, Nas, and Common have lost their relevance. Since 2012, Kendrick has only gotten more attention and I don’t see that going away anytime soon.

5.) Like I said above, many rappers release the same album over and over. Jay-Z hasn’t released an important album since The Black Album, Eminem can’t get away from writing songs about the same three or four topics since The Eminem Show, Drake has never released an album that has captured the intellect of his audience, the quality of Kanye’s music has declined somewhat since My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and there are a score of artists that can’t balance contemporary and critical appeal without becoming insanely asinine (Nicki Minaj) or too experimental or industrial to reach a consistent audience (clipping.). Kendrick Lamar is able to release vastly different projects without losing his audience or his wit and charm. Section.80 is far from good kid, m.A.A.d city, and that album is different from To Pimp A Butterfly, and To Pimp A Butterfly is far different than DAMN. They all have some traits in common, but listen to Section.80 and DAMN. and tell me that it doesn’t show a significant evolution in his artistry.

I won’t make any more points trying to prove that K-Dot is the greatest of all time. I can see someone saying Andre 3000, Q-Tip, Ghostface Killah, Rakim, Lauryn Hill, Scarface, Big Daddy Kane, Redman, Nas, Lil Wayne, or any of the artists that I mentioned above, but I feel that Kendrick Lamar might very well be the greatest of all time and I wanted to present my argument. For seven years, Kendrick Lamar has captivated his fans, myself included, with his lyricism and artistic integrity and I don’t think any artist has been able to do that before or since. Feel free to debate me any time, but Kendrick Lamar is the greatest rapper of all time.

Injury Reserve: Floss Album Review

When I was seven years old, Kanye West released his sophomore album, Late Registration. I had been a moderate hip-hop fan for a couple of years, and believe me, my family was surprised when I would quote Eminem and Jay-Z at five years old. But when Late Registration came out and I heard Gold Digger on the radio, I was made a permanent fan of hip-hop music, especially hip-hop with complex production qualities. Kanye West forever changed hip-hop in terms of the level of production you could put on your album.

Fast forward to 2016, and Kanye West is still a great producer, but the quality of his releases has diminished significantly since My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Popular hip-hop varies in quality from Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Chance The Rapper to Nicki Minaj, Drake, and Wiz Khalifa. The underground scene is littered with Future rip-offs getting signed to major labels, like Desiigner. However, there are several diamonds in the rough, like Danny Brown, Joey Bada$$, and Action Bronson.

One of these diamonds, smothered in the gypsum, calcite, and quartz of generic trap music, is Injury Reserve. Injury Reserve hails from the unusual location of Tempe, Arizona, and is comprised of emcees Steppa J. Groggs and Ritchie with a T, along with producer Parker Corey. Steppa and Ritchie have unusual chemistry, and resemble former multiple-time WWE tag team champions Edge and Christian, because they’re both charming and charismatic in a way that can either be hilarious or compelling in equal measure. Producer Parker Corey provides excellent beats and finds the perfect samples for these beats. His style is reminiscent of Kanye West in his prime.

I wasn’t aware of their first two releases, Cooler Colors and Live from the Dentist Office, but I was turned on to their newest album, Floss, in YouTube’s suggestion section for Ka’s Honor Killed The Samurai album. I saw the album cover and instantly assumed it was some kind of underground trap album, and boy was I surprised. The first song, Oh Shit!!!, is a banger like no other released in 2016.

The song is almost alien in terms of the sci-fi beat combined with the excellent piano melody. The autotuned vocals at the end are some of the best use of autotune in this decade. This song is meant to be listened to at the highest volume possible at a high-school party with a solo cup of beer in your hand that is constantly spilling because you’re headbanging and dancing erratically (and terribly) listening to this song. Definitely one of the best songs of 2016.

The next song, Bad Boys 3, showcases some of Steppa and Ritchie’s best bars on the album. The beat is almost tribal, and the melody is so unique in our current musical climate. Ritchie’s line about being the black Ben Carson had me laughing hysterically like so few hip-hop lines have in years. The line about the Rat Pack was also pretty clever. Overall, it’s a good song that is excellent to ride to, vibe to, or play at a party.

All This Money is likely my least favorite track on the album. Not to say that it’s bad or anything, because the bars are great and the beat is infectious, but it just doesn’t match the quality of the other tracks on the album. There’s a couple of quotable lines, but it’s just not as great as everything else. The music video is really unique, but you’ll have to watch it to really understand how ironic it is. It’s a better song than most hip-hop releases in the past few years, but it’s the most forgettable song on the album, even though you’ll remember it days after you hear it.

S on Ya Chest is one of my favorite tracks, mostly because it reminds me of a College Dropout or Late Registration cut. Jazz instrumental samples seem like old news, but when Parker Corey is at the helm, it feels fresh and vibrant, just like the original spirit of jazz music. The Vic Mensa guest verse doesn’t feel out of place like many features do today. It’s a song I’ve listened to quite frequently at the gym, and I’ve connected with it like I haven’t connected with other quirky, modern hip-hop songs.

What’s Goodie is infectious and is an excellent banger. It fits so well within the context of the album, and that’s something that is rarely seen in hip-hop. What many don’t understand is that an album isn’t just a collection of songs, it’s an over-arching framework with which all of the tracks fit into. This song has so many quotable lines, but my favorite is the Rey Mysterio line that fits well with the rhyme scheme they were going for. I see Girl With The Gold Wrist as a companion to What’s Goodie, and the two work very well together. Steppa’s line in the song is probably his most memorable and exciting.

2016 Interlude and All Quiet on The Westside work well as transitions to Eeny Meeny Miney Moe, a track that prominent music reviewer Anthony Fantano disliked strongly. To me, the song is an excellent vanguard for the change of pace in the album. It’s one of the best “other rappers aren’t as great as me” tracks I’ve heard in awhile. It’s not too notable when placed side-by-side to many of the other tracks, but again, it’s still a great quality song.

Keep On Slippin is a very introspective song that invites us to feel what Steppa J. Groggs and Ritchie with a T feel at this point in their lives. Anyone who has struggled with addiction or feels that they have disappointed those around them will relate to this song in a highly emotional way. The vocals are heartfelt and sincere, and the bars don’t impede on the subject matter while also maintaining the clever wit you’ll come to expect after listening to the previous cuts from this album. I love this song and it’s one of my favorite tracks of 2016 easily.

Back Then shows how Steppa and Ritchie feel at this point in their careers, and it is somewhat inspiring. You really understand what it’s like to be hometown heroes while also aspiring to something greater. Injury Reserve’s ambition is relatable if you have a kind of personality that isn’t satisfied with your accomplishments. These guys should be mainstage at every music festival featuring hip-hop, and they’re aware of how superior they are to to other hip-hop artists.

Not since 2015’s To Pimp A Butterfly have I heard a better closing track to an album. Look Mama I Did It is my favorite song from this album. The gospel sample here works so well with the beat, and it truly shows the technical skill of Parker Corey. The bars that Ritchie with a T spits on this track are emotional and compelling, and I haven’t forgotten them since first hearing the song. Steppa J. Groggs follows the lyrical subject matter of Back Then, but discusses his ambitious and humbleness in such a sincere way that you really can’t argue that Injury Reserve isn’t one of the best artists to come out in the 21st century.

Parker Corey’s production skills can’t be understated, and he is a total genius in a genre where all you’re required to do is create a heavy bass line backing a generic melody. He goes above and beyond to create an atmosphere on this album that you can’t escape. Steppa J. Groggs and Ritchie with a T are some of the most versatile vocalists in hip-hop today, and the writing is clever and witty beyond what you’d expect from a group that has only released two albums and an EP. I won’t go in-depth for each of their skills, because they work so well as a cohesive unit that it would only discredit them by viewing them as two wholes and not two halves. This album could easily change hip-hop for the better, and introduce a whole new generation of listeners to the best hip-hop music has to offer.

Rate: 22/24

Why Jesus Almost Certainly Wasn't Real

You knew it was coming. If you know me personally, you know I’m an agnostic atheist. Agnostic because I would believe in God if evidence of his/her/its existence was obvious, and atheist because I don’t believe that evidence for the existence of a god/gods exists. However, even in atheist camps, there is a popular belief that a historical Jesus exists.

Before I present my arguments for why a historical Jesus almost certainly wasn’t real, I might as well give my reasoning for why the Biblical Jesus definitely wasn’t real. All of the traits attributed to Jesus are applicable to most messianic figures of folklore going back all the way to Ancient Egypt. Let me give you a list of traits and see if you can tell whether it is Jesus or Horus.

1. Born in December 25th to a virgin mother.
2. His birth was predicted by three kings and indicates by a “star in the east.”
3. He was a prodigious child teacher of religion at the age of 12.
4. Baptized at age 30 and preached to those in his community with 12 disciples.
5. While preaching, he performed miracles such as walking on water, raising the dead, and healing the sick.
6. After being betrayed by one of his disciples, he was crucified.
7. He was dead for three days, but was resurrected after those days and ascended to Heaven.

Many of these traits are present is other mythological figures, such as Zoroaster, Mithra, Adonis, Attis, and Krishna.The reason these traits are all present is because these stories are an astrological allegory. In fact, most myths since Horus are astrological allegories. I could explain each of these aspects individually, but there are many sources that reinforce this, such as the 18th and 19th Century works of Constantin-Francois Volney, Criticism of the Gospel History of the Synoptics, Criticism of the Pauline Epistles, A Critique of the Gospels and a History of their Origin, and Christ and the Caesars by Bruno Bauer, The World’s Sixteen Crucified Saviors by Kersey Graves, and Ancient Egypt: The Light of the World by Gerald Massey. Many 20th and 21st Century sources are more comprehensive and factually accurate, specifically The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion by James George Frazer, Did Jesus Exist? and the other books on the subject written by George Albert Wells, Jesus: Neither God nor Man-The Case for a Mythical Jesus by Earl Doherty, and On the Historicity of Jesus: Why We Might Have Reason for Doubt by Richard Carrier, who famously asserted that the probability of a historical Jesus’ existence was anywhere from ⅓ as a liberal estimate to 1/12,000 as a conservative estimate.

A few arguments for the mythical Jesus’ existence are available, but many of them are derived from Josephus’ Testimonium Flavianum, which has been demonstrated to likely be a forgery. Other than this, other documents supposedly proving Jesus’ historicity are written many years after his supposed death, and really only prove the cult of Christ-worship existed before the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. This, in my eyes, shows that a historical Jesus was unlikely and a Biblical Jesus is impossible. If a man rose from the dead during the Roman occupation of Jerusalem, it would be in all of their records, and Christianity would have been established as the state religion of the Roman empire centuries before it was actually established.

I think that it's certainly possible that a carpenter’s son named Yeshua bin Yosef claimed that he was divine and presented the Palestinian Jews a unique interpretation of the Jewish religion based on Buddhist philosophy, but I don't find it feasible in any way. Jesus, especially as he's typically visualized or interpreted by society, is a myth. That being said, most religious figures are myths and I don’t have an extreme dislike for Jesus in particular, I just feel that religion doesn’t deserve to exist and we shouldn’t believe something without a shred of evidence. Sorry for not posting in a while, but make sure you check out the next piece on Jacob Mitchell: Iconoclast.