One of the funniest things that I see on a day to day basis, is the failed attempt to closeout a conversation. It starts off on the train or even at an elevator when you see someone you haven't seen in awhile, or it can even be a good friend you always see. You are nearing your floor or your stop, and you attempt to wrap up the conversation so that it coincides with that door opening, and you walking thru it. But then for some reason, the door does not open right away. You've already wrapped up your conversation and ended on a high note, so you don't want to re-open a convo with your friend that could be possibly be interrupted by the door finally opening; however, you can't just stare at the door like some type of mental patient, because then your friend will perceive it as an intentional snub. So instead you flounder around in the middle ground, desperately trying to read something that may be in your hand or in your bag, and you may even attempt to adjust your clothing somehow. Aside from listening to Magic Johnson speak, this may be THE most uncomfortable situation you can be in...anyway..

My boy Cliff came in town yesterday, and we kicked it for awhile over drinks, and it had me wondering why I (and men in general) don't really acquire new male friends. I have 3 good male friends: I met Cliff in '87, Kevin in '89, and my boy Sabin in '92..that's it..that's the list. I've had other male acquaintances that I would give dap too on the street, and that if I saw at a concert or an outing, I'd exchange numbers with (for the 30th time) and promise to call (yeah right), but in terms of male friends I can count on, it all starts with the original three. New female friends come everyday, but that's usually following an unsuccessful attempt to get some trim...with a few exceptions of course. The closest a man comes to making other male friends is in the workplace, but even then it is restricted to sports discussions, maybe politics, and a nod of approval when there is a ridiculous T&A sighting in the office. This isn't exactly the stuff solid friendships are made of, but it suffices for the workplace.

You know what made Tribe Called Quest so damn good? The element of surprise..Their first CD just sounded different than other rap group not named De La Soul or Jungle Brothers, so that alone was enough to hook me. Then their second cd, Low End Theory, introduced Phife to the world (which is why Butter is my favorite song off there), and it was also marked one of the first times that a rap group primarily relied on jazz samples. And on top of that, they even had legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter on one song (Verses from the Abstract). With their 3rd CD, Midnight Marauders, Tribe put it all together for an absolute classic. You had the song that no one knew the chorus to (Electric Relaxation), Phife's classic (8 Million Stories), classic jazz samples, and last but not least, the lovely sound of a woman's voice who served as the tour guide for the entire CD. It's no wonder that Tribe sucked ass after Midnight Marauders. They really could only maintain their greatness or fall off slowly. That being said, when they come to DC in the fall, I will be there front and center.