Solitary confinement or the box as we call it is a jail within a jail. It’s a place where prisoners go to be reprimanded for violating prison rules. They keep you Locked in a 5 foot 7 inch cell for 23 hours a day with only one hour for isolated recreation. No TV’s, no visits, no phone calls; just you and your thoughts. It’s enough to make a man go crazy, and many have.

Frank C. Matthews was doing a 10 year bid for conspiracy and drug trafficking when he got caught up in a petty beef in prison which landed him in the box for a year. Frank didn’t let the time in solitary get the best of him instead he took advantage of the restraints and dug deep inside his creative self and found his true talent. He wasn’t satisfied with the books he was reading so Mr. Matthews took his pen and note pad and started writing his own book called ‘Respect The Jux’. It’s a book about the secret society of thieves that specialize in armed robberies (Jux’s).

The marketing, promotion and distribution skills that Frank acquired from the streets were quickly put to use once he was released from prison. He self published his book and got his grind game on for real. The Homie started soliciting the NY jails which was an ingenious move considering the content in the book was synonymous to the actions of the incarcerated. He also distributed the book to hip hop artists and mom and pop stores. Frank managed to put the jails along with the streets in a head lock and the buzz got crazy; even 50 cent mentioned his book in a rhyme. It gets better… Director F. Gary Gray Just acquired the film and television rights. Looks like a mini series could be in the making, not to mention the publishing powerhouse company Simon and Schuster gave Mr. Matthews a publishing deal.

Despite Frank Matthews’s success, he insists on giving back in a big way. He created the Dream Ink Foundation. The Foundation seeks to channel the frustrations, passions and aspirations of disenfranchised communities into creative outlets. “We are dedicated to harnessing creative spirits, by allowing the urban storytellers of the next generation to flourish through the implementation of literary programs, coveted scholarships and mentorships”.

Frank C. Matthews could have easily turned into a feces throwing madman while in solitary confinement. He could have harnessed ill feelings, aggression and lack of patience, which could have lead to him returning to prison just like the 1 out of every 3 released. But instead he exercised patience, perseverance and persistence to overcome the odds and the obstacles. There’s no easy way to success especially for the previously incarcerated but, if you find your talent, focus on your goals and put God first you can accomplish anything and Mr. Matthews is proof. Click here to check out his site.

 When I think of the Black man, and what he should personify, I think of someone that embodies the strength of a Greek mythical God, all Mandingo-ish and Shaka Zulu-ish, free from vulnerability with an emotional disconnect that keeps him on top of his game, always dealing with intellect and reason almost entirely free from demonstrating affection.

 With all that said, would a black man be considered weak if he cries? Well I asked some Black women this question and I’ve gotten some interesting answers. One woman said that it depends on the situation. “Funerals are acceptable but, other than that it’s kind of wimpy”. One of my collegues told me if her man home was in foreclosure and he had no means to provide for his family he shouldn’t produce not a tear drop to her, and that he should figure out how to save his home a his family without wasting his eye water. She considered that as being weak. One woman told me that she do not remember ever seeing a Black Man cry.

 The last time that I remember crying was 10 years ago when my Grandmother died before meeting Tasha Smith. I entered her actors workshop and was not prepared for what she had in store for the Alpha males in her class.

 We did an exercise that caused us to revisit our hurtful past which brought all the men to tears like babies. I didn’t realize how much hate I had inside me and the amount of negativity I was holding on to until that day. And because of Tasha I was able to move pass the ill feelings I’ve had for my father and now we are beginning to have a relationship. It was therapeutic to say the least but, I felt guilty the following day as if I’ve done something wrong by crying.

 I had no reason for the guilt. It was a mental conditioning that was passed down by generations to fill a stigma that isn’t conducive for the black man growth and development. It’s like eating a lot of fried chicken, Macaroni and cheese and pork chops.  Our ancestors ate that but, it isn’t good for us.

 Energy is always transformed and it needs an outlet. The emotional despair that’s bottled up in the Black Man is like a stress bomb ready to explode… and it will, in forms such as high blood pressure,  strokes, cardiovascular diseases, homicides and all other stress related illnesses that you can think of.

 Black men live 7.1 years less than other racial groups. I also asked some white women and men if they see men crying as a sign of weakness and most of them said they do not.

 To my brothers out there that’s having a hard time and is stressed out to the max. You have to release it in some form or fashion… It’s alright to cry brother!

I’ve been taught to believe in the message and not the messenger. When I was younger I would hear my Mother and Father use curse words but, when I used those words I would get popped in my mouth. I remember asking my parents “Why did you hit me for ? I was just  saying the words that you said ?” My parents would reply, “Do as I say and not as I do!”

 That advice that my parents gave was very conflicting but, as I grew older I began to understand.

 Bishop Eddie Long of Atlanta’s Georgia New Birth mega church has 25,000 members. The Bishop preached against same sex marriage and also urged the gay members of his congregation to take counseling to become straight but, now he’s involved in a sex scandal that involves homosexual acts with 4 young men from his congregation.

 The young men have filed civil lawsuits against him claiming that he coerced them into sexual relationships.   

 Do as I say but not as I do can be the morale argument, but it’s a conflicting contradiction to preach against homosexuality while you are secretly grooming young men to become your sex toy s .

 As of now it’s all allegations but, I can’t front… It doesn’t look good for Bishop Eddie Long.

 I flew down to Atlanta to see what the brothers in the dirty had to say about this, and there’s no better place to chop it up than the Barbershop. click here to see.

Do you believe in second chances? Should anyone be denied the bare necessities of life? Will ostracism prove to be conducive to ones growth and development?

Well, if you have ever been incarcerated before you might ask society these questions once you are released. It’s a cold world behind those bars and the temperature drops lower once you are Free. I know this from first hand experience.

Thank God for the Fortune Society. They are a non-for-profit organization based in NYC. Their primary mission is to support re-entry from prison and to promote alternatives to incarceration. Click here to see

The Fortune Society has been rocking for 43 years and they keep building up steam. They just built an eco-friendly affordable apartment complex in west Harlem that cost $42 million. It’s called Castle Gardens and it has 114 units. The building is plush…Click here to see

Mayor Bloomberg presented apartment keys to new residents today and gave a moving speech that gave me a new found respect for him.

He mentioned the importance of the Fortune Society and explained that if resources are not provided to the previously incarcerated and they get hungry that they will eat the best way that they know how; which can be detrimental to them and society. The mayor’s participation helped to bless the project with over 8 million dollars.

According to statistics 1 out of every 9 black men will go to prison and 1 out of every 3 will return within the first 3 years of their release. There are support groups all over the country that appeal to the previously incarcerated. If you were on locked down and are struggling with the adversities that usually come with re-entering society, be patient and contact a support group in your area. If you haven’t gone to prison and you are genuinely concerned with our plight, please contact an organization in your area and become proactive by volunteering. It’s going to take a village to help reduce these sad statistics but, it can be done. The Fortune Society is living proof.

You must be living on Mars if you didn’t hear of T.I’s recent arrest September 1^st. But  for the brothers and sisters from another planet here’s a quick recap.

 On September  1st , T.I and his wife Tiny were arrested for suspicion of possessing drugs. The couple was pushing a Maybach in West Hollywood when they were pulled over for a routine stop after making an alleged illegal u-turn. Once stopped officers at the scene said they smelled a strong odor of Marijuana … this led to them searching the car, which  ultimately led to the couple’s arrest. 

 I must admit that it looks shaky for the brother considering that he just got released from a federal facility six months ago for weapon charges.

 Most of the people that I hear conversing about this subject are disappointed in  T.I. …  and if the allegations are true they are very much entitled to their opinion. But as the real facts in the case are still being determined… I ’d like like to share with you the T.I. that I know.

 I first met T.I. at a Beanie Sigel video shoot in 2004. This is before I was working my gig at BET… in fact I had just gotten released from Ft Dix Federal prison myself. I was in need of some inspiration; I was feeling like a fish out of water and didn’t have much confidence about making it in society with my criminal record. I felt like all odds were against me . During the shoot  T.I.  took  the time out of his schedule to chop it up with me… it really  made a difference. The way he spoke to me made me feel important and after that talk I felt a new confidence despite my criminal past. I’m not going to say that I’m a journalist at BET because of  T.I.  but, I will say that he played a part in me building my confidence ; confidence that was needed  for me to obtain my position.

 I bumped into T.I.  again on the set of 106 & Park in the spring of 2008. I was producing a show called Locked Out at the time , which is a documentary about the disenfranchisement laws. I wanted to interview T.I. for the show. He didn’t hesitate to oblige.  Even thought the interview never happened because of time constraints, he tried to make that happen for me anyway.

 I later ran into T.I.  in Philadelphia at Charlie Mack’s Party 4 Peace event in July of 2010. Charlie Mack brings Hollywood to Philadelphia to participate in his annual charity event and T.I. was there representing. We spoke at a juvenile prison together and of course the kids were very moved   by T.I. ’s speech. Click here to see.

 Not long ago, I also spoke to some executives that work at Warner  Music Group — T.I.’s label.  They mentioned how T.I.  had one of the best work ethics that they had ever seen;  how respectful and courteous he is and how much of a pleasure it is to fight for him. Talking about an impact!

 Regardless of his good deeds T.I.  will have to lay in the bed that he ’s  made for himself. The decisions one makes always have a rippling effect. This latest T.I.  incident  has already had a huge impact on his fans many of them hoping to see him come back from his prison stint bigger and better than ever. Click here to see. But at the end of the day it’s T.I.  and his family that will feel the direct consequence of his actions. I wish the brother well.

Do you think someone should get a life sentence in prison for robbing someone of $11? Well that depends. Was it an armed robbery by someone with a violent history? Was the victim’s life in danger? Did the robbery turn into a homicide? If the robbery was brutal then I can see considering a life sentence for punishment. But can you imagine being accused of robbing someone for a small amount of money like $11.00, going to trial, losing the trial and then getting sentenced to double life in prison after NEVER being in trouble with the law?! Well, welcome to the Scott Sister’s reality. 

 Jamie (left) and Gladys Scott are sisters that lived in the small town of Forest, Mississippi. They were arrested on Dec, 24 1993 and accused of robbing  two Black men. During the alleged crime, nobody was injured. But check this out … witnesses at the scene as well as the two alleged victims testified that the sisters had absolutely nothing to do with the robbery. So how’d they get a double life sentence?

 Well, let’s start with horrible legal representation. The sisters’ attorneys were Firnist J. Alexander Jr. and Gail Shaw- Pierson … first of all, who would name their kid Firnist??? But anyway… both attorneys failed to interview and subpoena several witnesses to the incident. Court records show that during the entire trial,  they only called one witness out of several that were available. Also, the jury never heard any testimony from the alleged victims and or the sisters themselves who were advised by their attorneys not to exercise their legal right to tell their side of the story. 

 In October of 1994, Jamie and Gladys Scott were sentenced to double life terms each. An extraordinarily harsh sentence for two people who had no prior convictions and for a crime in which no violence was involved.

 The Scott sisters have now been on lockdown for 16 years, and their chance of getting released are constricting.  After their initial conviction, they filed a direct appeal but the  court acknowledged no errors. They later appealed to the  U.S. Supreme Court, but were denied once more.

 Gladys was 19 years old and pregnant and Jamie was 22 when their freedom literally got snatched from them. But 16 years later freedom is only one of the sisters’ concerns.  During their time in jail, Jamie Scott has lost both of her kidneys and desperately needs a kidney transplant. Unfortunately, the Mississippi Department of Corrections is refusing to allow her the necessary medical treatment.

 After learning about their story I had to ask myself, why did it take 16 years before I heard about the Scott sisters? And how many more cases like this are out there?  These young Black women, who to me seem innocent of any crime, need help. On September 15th  a mass demonstration will be held in Jackson, MS at the state capitol building. Demonstrators are supporting a petition for the Scott Sisters’ release. The governor could pardon the sisters or grant them clemency. Please call 601-353-4455 and click here to get more details on the case and see how you can help.

 This could have happened to any one of us!

Music is a powerful tool; it can stimulate all of your senses. A song can bring you back to a certain point in time, like a time capsule. For instance when I hear a MC Lyte song like “Ruffneck,” Queen Latifah’s ‘U.N.I.T.Y. or Salt-N-Pepa’s “None Of Your Business,” it instantly takes me back to my days in Portsmouth, VA when I was pushin’ my 735 I BMW and rockin’ wearing Fila velour sweat suits.

 When I think of ‘80s and ‘90s Hip Hop, my mind won’t allow me to go more than five songs without thinking about a dope female MC. Roxanne Shanté, Ms. Melodie, The Lady of Rage, Boss, Da Brat, Bahamadia, Heather B., Lil’ Kim, Foxy brown, Yo-Yo, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott … and the list goes on. But when I think of the female voices that represent the Hip Hop of the new millennium… all I hear is an echo.

Where are the female rappers? Why isn’t the music industry pushing females like they do their male counterparts? Has the Rap game turned into an all boys club now with limited invitations for women? If so, how did this come to be?

 BET has taken the reigns in shedding light on these questions with an amazing documentary entitled, “My Mic Sounds Nice: A Truth about Women in Hip-Hop,” which was produced and directed by Ava Duvernay (who used to MC back in the day herself). This film breaks down the history of females in Hip Hop like I’ve never seen before. It brings back so many memories that at one point when they were reminiscing about Lauryn Hill’s career, I almost shed a tear… I said ALMOST!

 This documentary is inspirational, informative and motivational on so many levels … the film is definitely a must-see.

 BET hired the right woman for the job. Mad props to BET and Ava for pulling this off; I strongly advise you all to check out this documentary.

 “My Mic Sounds Nice: A Truth about Women in Hip-Hop,” airs on Monday, August 30^th at 10pm. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed!

In the meantime Click here and refreshing your memory about the female MC’s.

How many of my Black folks out there have a fear of water? I don’t mean the water that’s usually accompanied by soap and a wash rag but, large bodies of water such as rivers, oceans or even a deep swimming pool?

If your answer is yes… don’t worry you are not an odd ball, you are part of the 70 percent of Black people that don’t know how to swim.

Drowning is the second leading cause of death for children in America, and when it comes to African American children the rate of drowning is 3 times higher than white children.

In a recent tragedy, six teens drowned one by one in Shreveport, Louisiana’s Red River as their family members watched helplessly; they were unable to help because no one knew how to swim! Can you imagine watching your children die like that? So why are so few black people good swimmers?

Historically, research shows that before African Americans became slaves they were avid swimmers and loved the deep waters, but the slave masters prohibited slaves from learning how to swim because it could have provided means for escape. And when the slaves were freed, segregation denied black folks the access to public pools, beaches etc., limiting the resources for blacks to learn how to swim. But I’m not going to blame everything on the white man especially nowadays … we all know the perm and the weave play a big part in black women running from water like gremlins.

All jokes aside, if you don’t know how to swim contact your nearest Red Cross and find out where swimming lessons are being held in your area. We have no excuses now, no more physical slavery and no more segregation. Let’s start swimming!

Click here for full interview with Ron Carty ‘Water safety and life guard instructor.’

Click here for tips that prevent swimmers from drowning

Click here for survival tips for non-swimmers.

How many people do you know that make it out of the slums and make it big? Here’s a better question.  How many people do you know that make it out of the hood, become successful — I mean Hollywood successful — and then move back to the hood to give back to the community?

 Well that’s what Charlie Mack did[man on the right]. And if you are asking who is Charlie Mack??? I suggest that you Google him. But, in the meantime, Charlie is a seasoned entertainment industry insider, and a very close friend and business partner to Will Smith. He’s made many big moves behind the scenes including discovering Boyz II men, co-producing ATL starring TI, managing many artists, and playing big brother to a lot of entertainers and athletes.

 Charlie is from Philadelphia and moved to LA to get it popping with Will Smith back when Will was doing his Fresh Prince of Bel Air thing. We all know what happened with Will’s career after that and Charlie’s career spiraled upward as well.

 Despite Mack’s success he remained humble and concerned about the condition of his home town of Philly. Charlie is especially concerned with the violence that plagues his city [he lost 2 brothers to gun violence] and uses his contacts with Hollywood to help curb the violence with his anti-violence program/fundraiser-Charlie Mack’s Party 4 Peace Celebrity Weekend.

Charlie Mack’s Party 4 Peace brings over 100 celebs to Philly for the weekend to participate in discussions, panels, workshops and a celebrity basketball game for the youth. The Celebs also go inside some prisons and juvenile detention centers to give the people on lock down some inspiration and hope.

 I’m from NY but when I heard about this event I wanted to cover it and I also wanted to participate. I contacted Charlie by text and was hoping for a reply. I’d never met him before and didn’t expect him to answer my text. But to my surprise he not only answered it, he called, and we chopped it up for an hour on the phone. We spoke about the social ills that plague communities like ours.  We built about the responsibility of celebrities and he shocked me when he told me about my life story. Charlie not only knew who I was, but welcomed me to be a part of the event.  He said that he wanted me to speak along with T.I. to get a message across to the youth who are on lock down. Click here to see.

 All the celebrities who were there were genuinely concerned with the state of Black America’s youth and were very enthusiastic about providing their time to help our future. Click on the names below, check out the interviews and you will see what I mean.

Charlie Mack

 Terry Crews

TI

LisaRaye

Allen Payne

Kevin Hart

Affion Crockett

Brandon T Jackson

Marcus Houston

Imagine if every city had a Charlie Mack. May Charlie and all that participated be blessed to continue!

What’s the value of a Black man’s life in America? Why are police allowed to kill unarmed black men at will without penalty? Is there anything that can be done to stop police brutality?

In November 2006, an unarmed man named Sean Bell was killed by the NYPD on his wedding day when they fired 50 times at his vehicle. His two homies [Trent Benefield and Joseph Guzman] were shot also but managed to survive. The event gained national headlines; the consensus no matter where you turned was that the shooting was completely unjustified. However, the police responsible for murdering Bell and permanently injuring his two friends, were acquitted in the state court and the federal court refused to even prosecute the case. A life was lost and no justice was in sight for the victims or their families.

Almost four years later the families have finally gotten a ruling in their favor.  Yesterday, the city agreed to pay $7 million dollars to settle a federal lawsuit filed by Bell’s family and his friends.

Check out my exclusive one-on-one interview with Nicole Bell (Sean Bell’s Widow) to hear what she had to say about the settlement. Click here

Joseph Guzman was in the car with Sean Bell on the night of his death. He wasn’t killed but had to sustain 16 bullets. Hear what he has to say about the incident and the settlement. Click here