The running joke around our office, is that if you spend enough time in Brooklyn, you’re bound to run into actor Malik Yoba. Now, this fun fact doesn’t have much to do with the story at hand but I share it to illustrate the type of “relationship” we here at MadameNoire have with Malik. We’ve been watching him since his “New York Undercover” days, rooted for he and Joan to make it work in “Girlfriends,” and the Tyler Perry fans among us…(read: me) wondered why he and Janet just couldn’t get it together in Why Did I Get Married? He’s the famous guy who is simultaneously accessible and just happens to hang out where we hang out on the weekends. A real around-the-way type of dude.

But earlier this month, Malik displayed another side of himself in an ugly confrontation with a reporter and Fox9 contributor on–you guessed it–Twitter. See how it all went down.

 

OOOoopp!

Now, was Malik wrong for this? Probably. But was this a very natural, very human reaction to being taunted unnecessarily and unprovoked on Twitter? Definitely. If you peruse Ms. Dish Central’s twitter page, you’ll see that she makes a name for herself coming for celebrities, everyone from Justin Beiber to Prince (inexcusable) to Oprah. If that’s your thing, that’s your thing; but don’t feign shock and prudishness when any one of the celebrities you target fires back with equal or excessive rudeness. The rules of karma dictate that you get what you put out there. Malik was simply not having it that day. Later, Ms. Dish learned some information about Malik that would probably make most folk in her position feel a bit remorseful. But instead, she used it as an opportunity to steadily criticize.

Malik, probably having calmed down a bit, had this to say in response.

Later, in an interview with Hello Beautiful , Malik explained his thought process at the time of the “altercation,” why he said what he said and whether he regretted it in hindsight.

“People think that it’s ok to degenerate and disrespect someone just because they’re in the public eye. Don’t think because I’m a positive dude, I’m going to always say something nice. If you come at me crooked, one too many times or if too many people came at me crooked too many times in a row, then they’re going to get it. I don’t always exercise that self control and I don’t regret it either.”

There you have it. Do I suggest Malik Yoba continues suggesting that women wrap their lips around his johnson? Ehh no. But I can’t deny that he brings up very valid points about the way we treat celebrities…especially in the digital space. I don’t think celebrities are above reproach for the work they produce and present for us to consume; but when you start talking about their personal lives, especially going to the lengths of mentioning them so they can see your comment on Twitter, you have to evaluate your motivation and more importantly your morals. At the end of the day it’s just not cool. And while I suspect Ms. Dish is trying to make a bit of a name for herself by insulting others, there are millions of us who practice tearing down celebs and their personal lives, like it’s our new found faith. Furthermore, why do we then expect these celebrities, fellow human beings, to act like Jesus Christ and keep turning their cheeks while we get to act a fool because we don’t have a platform? If these celebs are not above criticism please believe they’re not above wallowing in the mire right along with us.

But the bigger question is why do we even feel the need to attack them personally? Does it make us feel better about our lives? Is this our jealousy manifested in the comment section? Is it easier to clown someone when you know they can’t access you physically? Probably a little of all of that. It’s always easier to attack the elusive stranger who you’ll probably never meet in real life than it is to deal with the person you have to live with every second of everyday. And if you’ve made peace with that cool but don’t be surprised if someone comes back at you and tells you what to do with your flapping lips…

Read the rest of Malik Yoba’s interview over at Hello Beautiful.com.

What do you make of this altercation, why do we feel so comfortable coming for celebrities?

 

 

 

Surprise, surprise there was an altercation at the BET Hip Hop Awards on Saturday. Make that two altercations, one backstage and one in the parking lot. Classy. The current tally of involved parties includes: Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, G-Unit security, and some guy named Gunplay (yes, Gunplay). At this point, the channel might as well add one of those weigh-in press conferences to the pre-show festivities.

As news of the confrontations reached the masses, the network issued a statement:

For the past 7 years BET has celebrated the true art form of Hip Hop. Due to some misjudgment of select attendees, it is unfortunate that certain incidents took place. BET Networks does not condone any type of violence.

What BET really meant was that while they condone violence in the music, videos, and brands that they honor, don’t bring it to their event. It’s nonsensical for the network to think they can separate the two.

Business is not exempt from the laws of karma. Karma literally means “action.” It is a Hindu and Buddhist principle stating that the sum of a person’s actions decides their fate. Put simply, you get back what you put out.

When applied to the business world, the laws of karma demand that the energy around the product or service you promote comes back on the brand. If your product promotes positivity, your company will attract positive customers, employees, and partners. If your brand promotes ego-driven male posturing that revels in violence, you get a fight at every award show.

Companies and business schools are paying closer attention to the energy they put out as highlighted in BusinessWeek’s Karma Capitalism.

The seemingly ethereal worldview that’s reflected in Indian philosophy is surprisingly well attuned to the down-to-earth needs of companies trying to survive in an increasingly global, interconnected business ecosystem.

…”You are the architect of your misfortune,” [Swami Parthasarathy, one of India's best-selling authors on Vedanta, an ancient school of Hindu philosophy] said [during an auditorium lecture at Lehman Brothers]. “You are the architect of your fortune.”

When anything involving hip hop is discussed, Jay-Z is never far from the conversation. The mogul was no where near the award show, performing at the freshly minted Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets in which he owns a minority stake. As social media reacted to the news, many stated that rappers should pay closer attention to how Jay-Z handles himself. He may have had skirmishes early in his career, but since he’s become a businessman, he has reached Huxtable levels of polish.

I don’t subscribe to the school of thought that every rapper needs to aspire to be Jay-Z. Nor do the Hip Hop Awards need to look like an Oprah Winfrey production. However, companies and artists alike need to recognize that the opportunities available to them reflect the energy they put out. A short temper and a penchant for violence may be hot in the streets, but it’s not what stable sponsors or partners are looking for. If you lead a hood lifestyle expect hood money, which, while plentiful, is temporary.

C. Cleveland is a freelance writer and content strategist in New York City, perfecting living the fierce life at The Red Read. She is at your service on Twitter @CleveInTheCity.

 

Everyone has found themselves in a hurtful, disastrous or even simply confusing relationship a time or two in their lives. If you’re fortunate and wise enough, you learn from past relationship mistakes and grow from them. But for others, heart breaks happen over and over again because they repeat these mistakes, even when there are overpowering signs that their destructive behaviors are sabotaging any chances of a happy partnership. It’s bad relationship karma, and if you think the Love Gods have turned their backs on you, maybe it’s because you are attracting what you are…and life is mirroring what you are portraying or putting out into the Universe. If you’re not happy with the way your relationships have been going and you think the energy you’re giving isn’t giving you anything back, here are some ways to improve your relationship karma…and possibly get you the love you want.

Read the rest of this entry »

When someone wrongs you, whether it’s a family member, your significant other, a friend or someone on the job, your first instinct is to make them pay for what they’ve done to you. Some people believe that taking revenge is counterproductive while other people can’t wait for Karma to take effect. See what our followers had to say about revenge, whether they took it and how they felt afterward.

Samantha: FELT A LOT WORSE, BUT YOU LIVE AND YOU LEARN!

Darling: Can’t say I have. I just live my life and forget they existed . That usually works. Ppl that do wrong to folks either do one or two things . They try it again and are caught or they desperately want your attention (think Evelyn Lozada). Funny but pathetic sight I tell ya.

Veronica: I put an entry about my ex on a site called womansavers 4 revenge for how he dumped me. Felt good until he anonymously replied.

Luda’s gangsta image has calmed down a lot since he stepped away from rap, focused more on his acting career, and snagged a college cutie for his arm. The father of 10-year-old Karma, recently launched an educational website for kids with his daughter and named the site after her.

Karma’s world features G-rated, kid-friendly raps for kids to dance to while learning about everything from manners to math, with intros from papa luda at the start of the games. There are also interactive games for students from grades 1 to 6.

Ludacris said in a statement,

“We wanted the site to be educational, fun, and full of music that all kids will enjoy, but we also wanted it to teach kids more than just academics.

“The site touches on subjects like the rewards of hard work and the importance of learning manners as well as the idea that doing good deeds for others will bring good into your life – which is the meaning of the word Karma.”

That’s so sweet. What do you think about Ludacris entering into a little business venture with his daughter?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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