Apples On The Side Please

Last night I had dinner with a friend who lives in Clarendon, VA. Clarendon is an offshoot from the beltway and Metro lifestyle and a very convenient location for dining and the such. We had Mexican at Mexicali Blues and despite the chilly side of dining outside, we laughed and carried on like high schoolers in the midst of prom season. It was fun catching up and it felt real to laugh out loud. Robbie, who is a hoot in his own right, made the evening a blast.

However, the conversation that took center stage wasn’t between us, but rather the waiter.

So, without further adieu:

MD: Yes, let’s try the white Sangria.
Waiter: Oh, there is a new regulation that doesn’t allow us to serve Sangria.
MD: Really?
Waiter: Yeah, the liquor laws prevent a fermented alcoholic drink to be served so if we served it, we would have to serve all the ingredients on the side. We put a little Tequila in our Sangria.
MD: So, the tequila would be on the side, the wine would be on the side, and the apples would be on the side?
Waiter: Yeah.
MD: That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. How about the Mojito?
Waiter: Yeah, coming right up.

So, that was my evening at Mexicali Blues. Robbie and I joked about that event for most of the night.

Sometimes you have to question the very things that make up why rules are invented, embellished, and yes, abandoned.

M.C. Davis

Common Sense

Checked out Common’s new album Finding Forever the other day and I felt compelled to provide a review.

First of all, welcome back Hip-Hop! I have not been this moved since Biggie Smalls came to the scene.

Common’s message is simple: music is your hip-hop because nothing else matters.

Not the cars, the bling, the 10 cribs on the beach, the shawty’s lined up outside…none of that matters because without the music, none of it would be possible.

Most hip-hops artists miss the very premise that got them to stardom in the first place. It’s so easy to find yourself stuck in the middle when everyone around you tells you that laffy-taffy is that new hot thang or the fact that anyone can get on stage with about 100 mics yelling “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!” or “Where my brothas at?!”

Common doesn’t do this in his natural and poetic way. His words are systematically and meticulous and without too much fluff to make it unreachable. I connected to his words without a full understanding of the industry or the movement within. He brought me back to what I was used to as a kid listening to Doug E. Fresh or watch Breakin’ on HBO with Turbo, Speacial K, and of course, Ozone.

And if the music didn’t do you in, the lyrics are poetry and Common’s approach is real with every intention to keep you attentive and in tune with his message. The album is worth every penny and for many albums that I download, I will take a different approach to Common’s album.

He deserves every penny.

M.C. Davis