Dope Floats. Shit Sinks.

Being Dominican these days is the equivalent to being Puerto Rican in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Rican’s got shout out’s from MAD Rappers, tons of love showed to “Boricua Mamis” *Biggie Voice*, and a heavy presence in Street and Hip Hop Culture. Biggie, Big Pun, Angie Martinez, and even Wu-Tang (before I knew a “Butter Pecan Rican” was meant solely for Rican females, I called myself it), had me feeling like Bori was the thing to be. Had a ton of Puerto Rican flags in the room, and of course the PR Flag Beads.

But with DR beating PR in the World Baseball Classic this week it feels like a changing of the guard of sorts. And with me being both Dominican AND Puerto Rican, I feel a rebirth kind of. I was always closest to my Rican side because Moms was Rican and I didn’t live with my Pops. None the less, I’ve grown much closer to the other side and feel like lately the spot light has been shining on Quisqueya.

To me I really began to notice it and feel it when Omega went straight to Washington Height’s after finally being allowed into the states. Son took an X6 right uptown straight from JFK. Another notable headline was the absolute love Junot Diaz garnered from his second joint, “The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.” Talk about a cross-over hit! I seen white girls from Park ave reading that shit.

Now, of course, its not hard to see the signs of Dominican influence all over TV and Music. Drake’s most recent video for, “Started From The Bottom” films him and his fam renting a fly ass crib in DR waving the DR Flag, not to mention his numerous shouts to Dominican women, and them loving him like he’s “Aventura.” Even Kendrick Lamar’s recent shout out on what could possibly be his biggest song to date. The “Bitch Dont Kill My Vibe” remix, fully equipped with a Jay-Z verse and a reference to Dominicans is blaring from every block in the Bronx.

And I’d be an absolute fool to not mention “Washington Height’s” MTV’s recent reality reel on Dominicans running a muck uptown. Think “The Hill’s” on Dyckman. Dimee!

I’m proud of the come-up for my Dominicano’s though and have fully embraced my own Dominican side. I just hope they don’t go out like the Rican’s did. Anybody still listening to “Reggeaton Rap?” Dime Aver, loko, k lo k?

Special shout to Tahiry.

This is a piece written by Dallas Penn in response to the murder of Kimani Gray, a 16 year old Brooklyn boy shot and killed by the NYPD. I wanted to post it in its entirety and I urge all to check it out and his other posts on DallasPenn.com.

The words below are all Dallas’…

NYC’s latest display of state sponsored terrorism against young Black males is the murder of 16yr old Kimani Gray in Brooklyn’s East Flatbush neighborhood. The police claim, as they approached several youth, that Gray displayed a firearm and pointed it at them, causing them to discharge their weapons at him.

This story has been repeated ad nauseam during my 42 years of life. A gun, a wallet, a package of Skittles and a can Arizona Iced Tea. Kimani Gray chose to run from the police that evening because being arrested was something he couldn’t bring home to his mother. For little girls in the ghetto it’s coming home pregnant. For little ghetto boys it’s getting arrested. These are the burdens they are ashamed to transfer to their parents.

I’m not here to tell people that Kimani Gray was some angelic child. He was a 16yr old, like all children who are 16yrs old. They are silly, childish and mostly hormonal. Growing up in a city without a permanent male role model is difficult for most young boys. The images of males in the streets and the media all point to an alpha male hyper-masculinity. There isn’t any space to be 16yrs old and vulnerable.

This drop isn’t about police brutality. Of course the police are brutal. They are cowards trained to fear these young boys, as well as to be the first line of defense when someone DOES have a gun and the intentions to do ill. The people in poor communities aren’t allowed to have their relationship with the police both ways. The only way they will have it is with police using their triggers indiscriminately. There will be no security without the sacrifice of their young. This is the prevailing theme.

But this drop isn’t about the police. We already know what their role is in this bullshit. This post is for all the 16yr old Black males still alive at the time this drop goes live on this site, or the moment your eyes find this page. All the Black boys in places like Chicago, St.Louis and Camden, still clinging to whatever life we will allow them to eke out after we have taken all their essence from them. After we have taken all of their style, slang, swagger and soul and put it into the capitalistic blender to create a Harlem Shake.

After we have taken everything beautiful and prideful from them, what will these Black boys have left?

Like the Central Park Five, all the Black boys will have left is this AmeriKKKan hell. Unless WE demand more for them.

In my prayers Kimani Gray may at least have gone to Heaven.