I don't follow football like that, so I don't know anything about Ray Rice besides what most everybody else knows—that he's a piece of shit. I just wanna be clear here so you know where I stand. Pray tell, what is your official stance? Is that your stance, but only when the cameras are pointed at you, like the NFL, who saw that video months ago? Behind closed doors, like your house door—or even your studio door—where are you at on the rather ancient global issue of violence against women? Or even the basic understanding that they're people? I read some blog about rap (I wouldn't start) a while back that bemoaned the rise of "male feminism" like it was one of the world's problems. Okay.

How can you hate and decry and fight the white man's supremacy and be all for the man's patriarchy? How can we break down white privilege and not examine male privilege? (Not to mention hetero privilege or cis privilege? Some of y'all don't hear me, though.) How do you tell yourself and others that that shit makes no sense whatsoever? Why are some so-called conscious cats just as sexist and woman-hating as the trap dwellers?

Speaking of, if you think that women can't be raped when they're unconscious, like CeeLo Green tweeted (who's been a disappointment for The Voice, for Gnarls Barkley, and for putting Goodie Mob on a dumbass, canceled-ass reality show)... if you, too, believe that shit, or think that beating women is funny, necessary, or in any way acceptable... if you think that shit is the victim's fault, or are quick to make excuses for why she had it coming—you're the opps. Look it up. We still got a long-ass way to go here, everywhere in the world, not just in hiphop's house—but seeing as that's my side of the street and as such, I'd like to do my bit to see it come together. You gotta use your voice to do it, since others continue to use their voices to fucking suck.

Okay. The distinctive voices of Freeway and the Jacka are coming to the Crocodile on Thursday, September 18, right behind their newest, the collaborative Highway Robbery album. The two Muslim MCs—one hailing from North Philly and the Roc, the other from Pittsburg, California—and the Mob Figaz have been linking up since the Jacka's low-key 2009 classic Tear Gas. It was on his 2005 breakout song "Barney" where Jacka once said that "sellin' drugs is cool, but rap is on my mind..."

Well, rap is cool, too, but it's nice to shake it off. New night of relevant interest: OCnotes and Proh Mic's Hydro Funk night, all funk and future souled out, third Fridays at Re-bar starting September 19. However, if you—like OVO's newest signee, the young ATLien Makonnen—prefer the "club goin' up on a Tuesday," there are relevant nights of interest happening every Tuesday, such as Real Love 90s night at Havana and Stop Biting at the Lo-Fi since forever—in case you just got here and need assistance. I'm here to help.