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THE WELFARE LIE CONTINUES

av@musicunlimitedrecords.com (A.V. Hodge) — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 04:24:00 +0000

THE WELFARE LIE CONTINUES

Despite prevailing stereotypes, Whites collect the greatest share of public aid dollars.

Say the word "welfare" and immediately the image of the lazy Black welfare queen who breeds for profit surfaces in the minds of those who have come to believe the hideous stereotype. It is a myth that persists despite government figures and authoritative studies showing that Whites make up over 70% of all welfare recipients. The image of the Blacks being the majority race on welfare, public aid advocates state, is based on misconceptions about poor minorities. The notion comes from society's resentment of seemingly able bodied people getting paid for doing nothing.

"For some people, there is a need to believe that there are
“professional” welfare recipients who are deliberately trying to get not
only what they need to survive, but more," says Anne D. Hill, Director
of Programs for the National Urban League. "People say to themselves: 'I
work; how come this person who appears to be healthy isn't working?' We
tend to equate our condition with others without fully knowing their
circumstances."

Hill argues that numbers, and not erroneous stereotypes, tell the real story about public assistance clients. Some 93 million non-Social Security welfare recipients are White, while 16 million are Black, according to Census Bureau statistics. The public is mislead because the percentages are higher for Blacks (38.9%) as opposed to Whites (37.2%) but since there are 6 White people for every Black person naturally there are more Whites on non-Social Security welfare.

The federal government defines welfare as all entitlement programs funded through taxes. These programs, listed as "direct benefit payments for individuals" by the Office of Management and Budget, make up $730 billion or 43 percent of the $1.47 trillion the government will spend this fiscal year.

Social Security is the nation's largest welfare program, although many Whites prefer to call it a retirement plan. The government writes Social Security and disability benefit checks to 35.4 million recipients of whom 89% are White and 10% are Black. The reason behind this shocking disparity is perhaps the most lamentable of all; the life expectancy rate for Blacks is six years shorter than that of Whites, meaning Black workers spend years paying into a retirement system only to have White retirees reap the benefits for a longer time.

Welfare critics rarely search the Social Security rolls for "welfare cheats," but train their sights on people getting Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), Medicaid and food stamps, the relief programs with the most Black clients. Yet government figures show that Whites, not Blacks, make up the bulk of clients on these public aid programs; a fact that dispels the notion that Blacks are scheming for a free lunch courtesy of the American taxpayer.

Among the poorest of the poor--single mothers, living below the poverty line with minor children to support 39.7 percent of AFDC clients are Black single mothers and 38.1 percent are White women with children. Food stamp recipients are 37.2 percent Black and 46.2 percent White. Medicaid benefits are paid to 27.5 percent Black recipients compared to 48.5 percent White clients.

Although the numbers show that Whites get the biggest chunk of public aid dollars, welfare critics still charge that Blacks shouldn't collect 38 percent of welfare benefits when they only make up 12 percent of the general population. They say the imbalance proves their case that Blacks are too busy complaining and blaming racism for their plight rather than looking for a job.

But racism is at the heart of the standard-of-living gap between Blacks and Whites, welfare advocates argue. Unlawful race-based hiring practices, they contend, keep Blacks from getting jobs that pay enough to lift them out of poverty. Until more white-collar jobs open up to Black workers, Blacks will continue to battle poverty and the freeloader misconception.

"Public and congressional deliberations over welfare reform in the last few years have been fueled by distortions and outright falsehoods about poverty," the National Urban League asserted in its 1988 report, Black Americans and Public Policy. "Welfare reform is not solely a Black issue, but one in need of immediate attention." 24 years later nothing has changed and the debate on Capitol Hill and the communities continues.

Turning welfare reform into a "Black issue" makes racial scape goating easy and allows stereotypes, like the Reagan era "welfare queen," to go unchallenged. Right Wing reformers cast Whites as "deserving" clients who are legitimately unable to pay their own way through no fault of their own. Blacks are labeled "undeserving" recipients who are looking for the feds to subsidize their laziness.

Attaching a moral value to work is not a new convention; it is a philosophy deeply rooted in the religious beliefs and social welfare laws that Anglo-Saxon settlers brought to the New World. These values were imposed upon poor immigrants from other European countries who later perpetuated them after moving into mainstream society.

The Puritanical work ethic faced its greatest challenge following the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression of the1930s. The nation was forced to re-think its social welfare conventions when it realized that economic forces--not misplaced values--could lead to financial disaster. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs and the adoption of the Social Security Act of 1935 symbolized the country's commitment to protecting family and personal incomes. President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society anti-poverty programs of the1960s ushered in some of the programs of today's welfare system.

Do You Really Matter

av@musicunlimitedrecords.com (A.V. Hodge) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:50:00 +0000

At the end of the day, we as citizens forget that the government works for us and we never hold them accountable for their actions. Elections are held for citizens to say: yes you're doing a good job, here's an extension or hey, you're doing a terrible job and you're fired!!!

We let the government run the election process that they are supposed to be judged by. That's the same as letting a prison inmate tell the parole board whether or not he deserves to be released. Or, The person looking for a job telling the interviewer whether or not he's going to hire him. The government constantly lies to us and we stand around and hang on their every word like it's gospel. This country is made up of 300 million people, how can we let just a few stiff, out of touch men and women control it all?

The media controls public opinion and the media is controlled by the huge corporations with solid and traceable links to political parties. Dedicated news and business channels preach fear and rhetoric in order to make the public do what they want, buy what they sell and believe what they say.

We are way to concerned with what goes on in our lives exclusively. We think that if something doesn't effect us directly it doesn't matter. But life changing situations happen when things effect your life indirectly because those are usually the things we have no control over.

The government and large corporations rely on the fact that 99% of this country can't see outside of their own little circle of life. They understand that we don't read the "small print" because we are simply to lazy to care. We take everything at face value unwilling to look any deeper because if we do we may find something that needs fixing and then we may actually have to take a stand that is unpopular to the masses.

I ask each and everyone of you how do you look at yourself in the mirror with pride? How does it feel to know that you didn't take your education seriously enough and now you children are suffering because you don't have the career to really provide for them. How does it feel to know that you aren't living, but merely surviving?

I ask you; how does it feel to know that you are the "INDIRECT" reason why this country fails to learn from every life lesson?

Hip Hop Was The Link

av@musicunlimitedrecords.com (A.V. Hodge) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 20:51:00 +0000

On this nice Saturday afternoon I reflect back upon my life, the twist and turns, ups and downs humbly and with humility. It seems that throughout my time on this earth with it's experiences and while friends, acquaintances and opportunities have come and gone, the one constant thread to bind them all has been hip hop.

Every person that I can remember coming in contact with for a significant amount of time in my life has at some point or another liked at least one hip hop song. From my white friends on Wall St. and my Asian friends back in college to my black and Latino friends in my hometown of Norwalk, CT. Though the taste in songs were different, we all liked hip hop. And, it has played a huge part in my life even when I left it behind in favor of alternative rock in the late 80's.

Like hip hop I have always done my own thing, moving when I wanted to move and where I wanted to move always delivering organized chaos to my own beat. When other kids wanted to play basketball I played baseball. When my friends wanted to party and stay out late I relaxed in the house reading and dreaming. And, when guys and girls I knew were becoming teenage parents I was sifting through athletic scholarship offers from major colleges.

Leaders are born, not made and I was fortunately born a leader. Though I play the background at times it is with a purpose for a designed outcome. This is where hip hop has helped me breathe. Hip hop has always played the background in the eyes of the media and society though it is infused in everything moving in the world from soundtracks on political news shows to the Food Network channel. Those that dismiss hip hop as nonexistent subconsciously use it daily.

Hip hop funded my dream, but in a different way than you may think. In junior high while my friends in my neighborhood were dreaming of being rap stars, singers and DJ's I was dreaming of being a CEO, the owner of my own enterprise. And, even thought I played baseball at high levels, and even worked on Wall St. as a well respected credit analyst with a top financial firm in the back of my mind my dream never faded. I used all of my life's work and personal experiences to prepare me for the day I would call myself "The Boss."

Today I write this post from the desk in my home office and I have paperwork stating that Music Unlimited International, LLC is a registered limited liability company in the United States of America and I occupy the titled of Chief Executive Offficer (CEO) and Chairman. Before the money started coming in, before the interviews and media write ups, even before signing my first artist my dream had come true. You see, I didn't dream of being famous and wealthy. I just dreamed of being in charge of my time, decisions and destiny. So today I can sit here and thank hip hop for being the thread attached to every person I'm spent time with and for being the equation inwhich my dream was the answer. Hip hop was the link.

Stupidity Rides Again

av@musicunlimitedrecords.com (A.V. Hodge) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 21:45:00 +0000

It's obvious to me and to most intelligent people in this country that Fox News and Fox Business Channels employ utter idiots as on-air analyst, anchors and commentators. And, the undivided ignorance that they rant and spew on a regular basis doesn't surprise me at all but Fox News analyst Tucker Carlson has taken stupidity to another level.

Everyone is aware of the cruel and inhumane abuse of dogs Michael Vick went to prison for, and I'm a dog owner so I was just as angry as anyone else. But, Tucker Carlson believes that Vick should have been executed for his crime. Is he serious?

There are murders that walk out of prison in under 25 years most times than not even though they have taken the life of a HUMAN. Dogs are pets and become part of the family but are they really more valuable than human life?

Slavery was abolished 148 years ago. Are animals still worth more than a black life? And, if the first statement by Carlson wasn't enough, he recanted the statement but went on to compare Vick to a child molester. So now he's trying to get people to believe that killing a dog is the same as molesting a child? What in the world is wrong with this idiot?

And, what's wrong with Fox? They seem to employ quite a few nut cakes from Sarah Palin and Bill O'Rielly to Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity. The popularity of Fox and their on-air employees shows a deepening of ignorance in this country. I guess stupidity will keep popping up its ugly head as long as Fox manipulates current affairs.

Would You Work For Free? Artists Wouldn't Either...

av@musicunlimitedrecords.com (A.V. Hodge) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 15:18:00 +0000

What would you do or say if your boss came to you and asked you to do your job to the best of your ability... FOR FREE? Even if you love your job I'm almost certain you would tell him/her to kiss your natural ass!!! Well, when artists go into a studio and record music and sell the finished product to the world it's because they consider it their career and plan to support their family and themselves with its income.

99 cents ... that's all the majority of music offered at online stores cost. In fact you don't even have to buy an entire album for one good song anymore, you can just buy the songs that you like individually. In my line of work I'm frequently on Twitter and Facebook and I see so many fake people bragging about how much money they have, what they just bought, their swag level, but these are the same cheap individuals that won't break a $20 bill for a bag of chips.

Forget the fact that music piracy is wrong and stealing music affects you as the fan or consumer. An artist is not going to put forth their best effort on a track if they know that it will just be leaked and they won't make any money from their time and hard work. Because of this you are not getting quality music and this is why 90% of the radio sounds like repetitive crap.

For the world to hear one song an artist buys a beat from a producer, writes the song, books studio time or pays electricity for their own studio, pays for marketing and advertising of the song and in most cases pays to have the song played on the radio. On the low end a song from start to finish can cost $2,500 to $10,000 for an indie artist and upwards of $50,000 to $100,000 for a major artist which is always paid upfront. Multiply that by the number of songs on an album and you can see why 99 pennies means so much to an artist.

And, if you don't have 99 pennies to download a song you probably shouldn't be on Twitter or Facebook anyway. Maybe you should be out looking for a job. And, if you have a job and still steal music consider yourself a thief that fronts on social sites. It is what it is people.

Not Just For Colored Girls...

av@musicunlimitedrecords.com (A.V. Hodge) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 13:41:00 +0000

Friday night I spent the late afternoon and evening with my significant other. This was a great opportunity for quality time since our children were visiting their cousins for the weekend. After a nice Latin dinner we went to the movies. I like Tyler Perry's movies but I wasn't to sure about seeing "For Colored Girls." It seemed like a movies for sistas (slang) to see for their ever needed bonding moment. But, my better half wanted to see it quite bad so there I was in a movie full of women with a few fellas sprinkled around undoubtedly in the same predicament as me.

This movie turned out to be one of the most important movies in the last decade of so. It's a must see for every woman, and yes, man of color in a white washed society. And, for you Latin men and women who don't think you have the same struggles as blacks... white America says that you do.

This movie grabbed my attention from the opening scene. It showed the strength, fear, hope and plight of a black family following the rules and doing just well enough to survive but not really well enough to truly live. The innocence had been replaced with self-doubt and the sunshine with everlasting darkness.

There were so many characters in this movie I wasn't sure if the storyline would be to choppy to follow or not. But, the writer, director and cast did an excellent job of making each character full and interesting. For Colored Girls turned out to be a movie for every woman of color young and old and the men that love them.

The characters range from the poorest to the richest and focuses in on the similarities of the group, their righteousness on one hand and their sins on the other. Go see this movie... once again I urge everyone to GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!!

Get Over It Already

av@musicunlimitedrecords.com (A.V. Hodge) — Fri, 21 May 2010 09:09:00 +0000

In this post I'm responding to lies spread about President Obama on several republican websites that he isn't a natural U.S. citizen and that he is part of the New World Order some how.

I really can't believe that there are this many ignorant people in this country. It took President Regan and both Bushes and the Republicans decades to ruin our country and you want President Obama to fix it instantly. Quit complaining and start doing your part to make your life better. Stop being typical spoiled Americans and grind a little harder. Keep in mind that you don't live in a third world country, so stop acting like it. We live in the best, most opportunistic country in the world.

And, I will not even entertain the B.S. thought of the fake birth certificate circulating on the internet. I design album covers, posters, logos, etc. I know that with Photoshop and 20 minutes I can create an authentic looking birth certificate also (Stop being sheep).

As for "New World Order"... President Bush 1 & 2 are both members of the Skulls Society of Yale University. Look it up and tell me how an alcoholic, cocaine using, "C" student becomes a powerful Texas politician and eventually president without underground help? And, his grandfather Prescott Sheldon Bush was a U.S. Senator of Connecticut from 1952 until January 1963, so the family has always had their hands deep in the B.S. The 1st President Bush was involved with Watergate and was "HAND PICKED" as the Republican National Committee chairman by Nixon himself and after Nixon "RESIGNED" he was brought on as the director of the CIA 1/30/76 by Nixon successor President Ford. President Bush #1 knows who killed JFK!!! So, please don't open your uninformed mouths about President Obama and the new world order.

Educate yourselves, get your facts straight and then come back to the round table with better points and opinions, please. And, once again stop being sheep blindly led around by the media... all media.

It is common sense that every president spends half of his time in office cleaning up the mess of the previous president. And, we all know that the republicans are self-serving schemers in times of need... which seems to be all the time.

And, know the law please before you speak. If a child is born in a foreign country to parents that are U.S. citizens then that child is automatically a U.S. citizen. And, only one parent has to be a citizen and President Obama's mother was born in Kansas. but that doesn't matter because President Obama was actually born in Hawaii. And, he was born there 2 years after it became a state and even if it weren't a state at the time it was a U.S. territory before so he would still be a U.S. citizen a'la Puerto Rico, U.S Virgin Islands, U.S. Samoan Islands.

Do your own research and stop relying on the lying media for your information.

Only Worry About What You Can Control

av@musicunlimitedrecords.com (A.V. Hodge) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:44:00 +0000

This post hits hard so PAY ATTENTION!!!

I've noticed that too many people waste their energy on things they cannot control. You know what that's called? It's called SUFFERING. And it's all self created. When you focus on things you CAN control, you know what that's called? It's called SUCCEEDING.

The only way to make it is to focus your energy on that which you can control. You can't control what haters say about you or your career, you can't control when you get a record, movie, fashion or business deal, you can't control when you blow up. So sitting around putting all your energy into thoughts about these things is simply a waste of time.

You CAN control how many people you approach to hear your music, FOCUS YOUR ENERGY ON THAT! You can control how much of your soul you put into your craft. FOCUS YOUR ENERGY ON THAT. You can control how early you get up in the morning to start your grind. FOCUS YOUR ENERGY ON THAT.

Focus + Energy + Movement = Success. You have to train yourself to focus your attention on that which you can control and let go of the tendency to focus on that which you can't control. This can completely change the state of your career and maybe your life. Take this from someone that is extremely focused.

Custom Logo Design

Issues haunting Artists & DJs

av@musicunlimitedrecords.com (A.V. Hodge) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:17:00 +0000

The music industry may be the dirtiest industry besides boxing... and that's saying a lot. There's lying, stealing, cheating, violence and even killing that goes on within hip hop... and, not always by the artists. But, this post is not about what's wrong with the part of hip hop that everyone can see. This post is about the part of hip hop that is ugly and no one wants to see.

Health care is a hot topic today but since the inception of hip hop artists and DJs have never really had proper health care protection. There is no union for artists or DJs yet you can find one on every street corner in America. The art form of rap has taken over the world in just 30 years, so it's still a baby compared to other genres but the music is based on more pain than any other genre could ever imagine (country music is a close 2nd).

The bottom line... there is no real representation for hip hop artists or DJs as a whole. No union, no health care, no arbitrator. Nothing at all that says we are legitimate businessmen/women bringing value to the table. Old gray haired executives in starchy Brooks Brother suits can't rap, can't make a beat or get the crowd moving so why is it that we LET THEM dictate our careers both in the concert hall and in the board room? Why can't we get together as artists and DJs and form an organization that will force the corporations to treat everyone fairly just as if we worked at IBM, Microsoft or GE. This is just a little something to think about. Give me your thoughts.

Is The Internet Hurting Today's Music

av@musicunlimitedrecords.com (A.V. Hodge) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:30:00 +0000

I'm the Founder & CEO of Music Unlimited Records so of course today's topic is a large part of my business. As a label owner the Internet is the backbone of my marketing strategy and the best way to promote my artists and maintain a realistic budget. But, I don't know if it helps or hurts the industry as a whole.

In the past the major labels (Sony, Universal, Warner, etc...) had such a strangle hold on the music industry that if you didn't have a record deal with them you didn't exist, period. This was because advertising was so expensive that only the big companies could afford to push and market their artists. That shut the door on the hopes of many independent labels and artists hoping to grow.

Along came the Internet. A phenomenon that instantly leveled the playing field for all record companies both big and small. The Internet is so inexpensive that a one person label can advertise their projects right next to the big boys and no one knows the difference. This angers the majors but makes the indies happier than ever.

But, there's the case and problem of piracy. Everyone is STEALING music off of the Internet simply because they can. If there was no way to steal music you would just pay for it without any complaint like before. This of course hurts the industry as a whole because it raises the prices of all upcoming albums, there's legal ramifications and the music quality is watered down because artists and labels know that their music is going to be stolen before it is sold; so the energy, excitement and desire to create a good album is non existent.

So, in short I guess the Internet is both a gift and a curse. What is your opinion? How is the Internet helping or hurting music today?

No Common Sense

av@musicunlimitedrecords.com (A.V. Hodge) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 03:05:00 +0000

The five senses are important in life but the most important sense of all is COMMON SENSE. I'm the CEO of Music Unlimited Records so I stay on top of what's going on in the business world and the economy. Also, being a CEO of a record company that produces urban music I stay on top of what's going on in the streets as well. With that being said there are consumer idiots out there.

I listen to rap music consumers talk out of the side of their necks and it's idiotic and out of control. On one hand they complain about the music that is out today, how the radio plays the same songs over and over again without variety. But, on the other hand they don't make their voices heard and they continue to stay silent so radio thinks that they are playing what everyone wants to hear.

Radio play and media placement is not, nor has it ever been about hot music or quality artists. it has always been about money being placed in the right hands and still is. Thank God for the internet and internet radio which levels the playing field.

The entire music industry must listen to the consumer to stay in business, period, no questions asked. Open your damn mouths and tell them that you want to hear new music mixed in with the mainstream and if they don't listen you will go elsewhere to listen to good music. I'm in no way telling anyone to boycott commercial radio, I'm just telling you to stop being a follower and start being a leader. Tell radio IT'S YOUR MUSIC AND YOU WANT IT NOW!!!

Is Rap Art or Poison?

av@musicunlimitedrecords.com (A.V. Hodge) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0000

One night while flipping through the never ending cable channels I came across new reporter Paula Zahn doing a story for CNN on rap music, whether it is art or poison. Zahn and the people she interviewed pretty much did their best to belittle Rap as a whole and stereotyped the art form and culture like I haven't seen in some time, since rap was being called a fad by politicians, clergymen/women and critics decades ago.

Rap is not like video games. Kids and young adults in their right mind don't hear a rap song and then go out and commit immoral, violent or drug related crimes. Kids and young adults witness what goes on in their neighborhoods daily and then come home and write about what they've witnessed and report it to the world.

Rap is looked down upon when it speaks of "bitches, hoes and niggas (slang)", but it is bitches, hoes and niggas that are encountered daily in the inner city where rap is headquartered. Rappers aren't referring to "women and ladies" when they you bitches and hoes in their lyrics because women and ladies do what they need to do to be respected and successful. But, bitches, hoes and niggas need to be exposed for who and what they are.

The mainstream media reports from all over the world daily on various stories but when it comes to the inner city it never reports the reasons for the plight of its people... just the plight itself. Rappers are news reporters for their areas. They depict what's going on in the neighborhoods they call home or once called home. The mainstream media is upset because rap is a medium that touches more ears and eyes than they do and lyrics can't be controlled even with the censorship of the FCC.

I was taught as a child that if you don't know what you are talking about keep your mouth shut. Paula Zahn and her mainstream media cohorts should do more in-depth research before they open their mouths. It always amazes me how so many highly educated professionals can be so ignorant.

Who Will Bridge the Gap in Hip Hop?

av@musicunlimitedrecords.com (A.V. Hodge) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 07:48:00 +0000

I in no way claim to be a Hip Hop expert, rap guru or a fan that knows every beat and line of each classic rap song. I know the songs that I like and the ones that I don't, and the songs that I don't like seem to rule the radio, internet and television right now.

I had someone tell me the other day that the game had passed Jay-Z by and that he needed to step back and let new artist do their thing. What the hell was this person smoking when they hit me up on twitter? I stated that no one has stepped up to force Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem etc, into retirement and this person felt like the new artist of today were doing just fine in carrying on the Hip Hop torch.

Jay-Z, Biggie, Nas, Snoop, they took over from Run DMC, LL Cool J, NWA, Ghetto Boys, etc. Who is going to take over the game now? Who is going to bridge the gap? There's Lil Wayne and a few underground artists that can't seem to do much more that get their foot in the door. Why do I hear songs like "Stanky leg" and "F.L.Y Surf" everywhere I go yet I can only find Joel Ortiz on the internet, Joe Buddens is a mixtape maven and nothing else and Saigon and Jae Millz repeatedly jump from label to label without dropping a real album?

With the internet leading the way you would figure that there would be new artists dropping out of the sky like never before, but the wait continues. DJs aren't breaking new artists anymore and haven't for a long time. Of course you can pay your way into the game but at that point you are saying that you are talentless and lack confidence in your ability, period.

So, who will step up to bridge the gap?

I'm So Tired Of...

av@musicunlimitedrecords.com (A.V. Hodge) — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:36:00 +0000

I'm so damn tired of corny hip hop songs, corny one hit rappers and corny slang words like "swagger." What happened to the creativity our music and culture had not so long ago? Jay-Z was right when he said "I can't leave rap alone, the game needs me." It does need him. It needs Snoop, Trick Daddy, Ice Cube, Bun B, Eminem, etc.

In an ideal world the aforementioned artists would be able to do thing in the game for about 6 or 7 years and then bounce leaving the game to the next generation of artists in line. But, that hasn't happened. Because of some of the lackluster, lazy, non-creative artists coming up today the legends of the game are forced to stay around longer to make sure that what they set up is not lost.

Rap is often compared to sports. You practice and grind for years hoping for one shot and when you get that shot you try to stick around as long as possible. Athletes usually play 7, maybe 10 years before retiring. The superstars sometimes squeeze out 15 years if their lucky or good enough. But, once the legends and superstars are gone teams are left to rebuild, waiting for their draft picks to mature, which usually takes a few years. I guess rap is in it's rebuilding stage like the Knicks, Patriots, Red Sox and Rangers. But, when will rap's draft picks mature?