Can I Share My Opinions Please?

     What's up everyone? Hope everyone is having a happy holiday season. I'm up late on a Monday night/Tuesday morning, listening to this, "Some Love Lost," album by Joe Budden, and it has me thinking all kinds of thoughts, so I thought I'd blog for you guys and share my thoughts.      First and foremost, this album is amazing, and absolutely one of the best albums released in 2014 in my opinion. It hits on everything that I love about music. It's right to the point, no filler, and great content. It's real! It's personal! There's no bullshit throughout the album. Just one man, a microphone, and complete honesty. I love it. There's not too many times that these famous musicians release music and I feel it the way that I feel this record. The closest thing I can think of off the top of the head, is Kanye's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy or 808's and Heartbreak. The feeling this album gives me is rare to say the least.      The reason

     What's up everyone? Hope you all are doing well today and enjoying this holiday weekend. Over the past few months, I've become a bit more vocal about race issues here in America, as it relates to blacks and the injustice that is often experienced by my people. Today, while debating about the Michael Brown situation in Ferguson, Missouri, a fellow accused me of being racist and said that I'm apart of the problem, simply because I used the words, "my people." I couldn't believe it, and actually found it funny after I read the comment. I think there's a huge misconception about me and other people like me who are discussing these issues, and some people don't truly understand our stance.      I believe the misconception here is that we as black people, can't be all about preaching power to our people, uplifting our people, awakening our people, and fighting for equality for our people, without also not hating white people. It sounds ridiculous

So, this past week, my beloved HTC One M8 went bad, and the screen started having some issues. Sad, sad news. Not quite sure what happened, as I don't fumble my phone or anything like that, so I sold it, and got the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 to test drive just for a week until the Nexus 6 arrives at T-Mobile. So I've been using this phone for a few days now, and I gotta say, this phone is amazing. Absolutely amazing. Samsung really stepped their game up with this device here. It's very well built, actually, I'd go as far as to say this is Samsung's best built device ever. The metal that's been incorporated into the edges of the device really make a huge difference in the feel of the phone, and I'm loving it.      Moving on, the camera on this thing? Absolutely bananas! I've never had a phone that took such clear pictures. I swear you could see my cuticles on my fingers on a picture I took of my hand. You could see my fingerprints. It's crazy! The screen

     What's everyone? Hope everyone is doing well tonight. Before I say anything else, let me just say, kudos to Kim Kardashian for the pictures from her photo shoot for Paper Magazine. I know a lot of people, specifically women, will say she's nasty, or a whore, or whatever, but me personally, and not just because I'm a guy, I think the pictures were done tastefully. There use to be a time, not even that long ago, that it was considered an honor to pose naked for Playboy. I remember WWE use to have one of their Divas pose every March around Wrestlemania and those women were honored to do it. It was a big deal because you knew, Hugh Hefner and his staff would take care of you, and make it look tasteful. This is no different to me. Granted, this wasn't Playboy, (which Kim K has already posed for by the way.) but the pictures are done so professionally. It's not like this was a Bangbros photoshoot and she's got her legs spread showing her vagina. It's just a

     Now I'm sure all Tupac fans are ready to kill me right now, because in their eyes, Tupac is God's gift to rap music. But, don't get it misconstrued, I'm a Pac fan. Maybe not a die hard fan, but a fan nonetheless. I realize that Tupac was one of the greats of his time, but I also realize that he wasn't the greatest ever in 96, and isn't the greatest ever now. He may be the best selling hip hop artist (or 2nd best. I think Eminem is #1), but as I'm always reminded, sales don't have anything to do with skill or actual talent.        What's funny, is that the reason people hate Kanye, is the same reason they loved Pac. Pac was an asshole. I dare anyone to say he wasn't. I was alive and old enough to remember Pac. Dude was a jerk! But back in the 90's, that was no problem. Pac was in and out of jail. Pac was accused of sexually assaulting a fan, rape ultimately, joked on record (lying according to Faith Evans), about screwing his rivals wi

I have become ashamed of the individual that I am today. To some degree. I use to be so easy going, care free, nonchalant some would say. I look now and see 80+ pairs of shoes and wonder what the hell happened to me? There's also shirts and accessories to go with those shoes. That's not who I used to be. I never cared about styles and different fabrics. I didn't know shoes had a release date before. It's become an addiction. I used to be a bit of a nerd, caring about video games, gadgets and electronics. Maybe I wanted to film myself doing something stupid and have fun. I used to like to read and watch science fiction. I used to want to write and rap all the time. I spent the majority of my money in those days on music, video games, and movies. Things that entertained me, and took me away from this world. I used to sit and think that a Grammy was in my future. What happened to me? What changed? Is it the shoes? (Is it the shoes?) If I leave the house now, I gotta throw

     If you're with somebody, and they cheat on you, having sex with another individual, what would you do? What if there was a reason behind their cheating? What if you were the reason for it? Say for example, you weren't as intimate with them anymore and you always declined their intimacy attempts, if they went out and found that intimacy from someone else, what would you do? Say on the flip side, you were doing everything right. You were a good significant other, supportive, intimate, everything a man or woman may want or need, but they still went out and cheated. What would you do? Would you stay? Would you go? Is there any justification for either action? A lot of folks, maybe even you reading this right now, may say, I'm out instantly, no second chances, etc. But, if your heart is involved, if there's plenty of time involved, if your emotions are involved, would you really just up and go?      If you're with someone, and they put hands on you, what would you

     What's up everyone? Today's topic is body types. It's been a topic that a few different people that people have asked me about, and wanted to hear my thoughts on. What do you think of breast and butt implants? What body type do you or other guys like? Things of that nature. So I'll get into those topics now.      Breast implants and butt implants? I love both of them!..... in porn. But in real everyday life? I accept one, but frown upon the other. Here's why. For years, I would say that a woman should just be happy with what she has, and work with that. I would even go so far as to say to my lady when she spoke of breast implants, that if you're going to get breast implants, then I'm going to get a penis implant. She would then say to me, but you don't need a penis implant, and I'd say, exactly, and you don't need breast implants. Simple, I feel better about myself, she feels better about herself, conversation's over. However, I feel li

      His sex....      Sure, she loves the attention that he gives her. She loves the texts, the calls, the talks that they have. You could even say she loves spending time with him. But she will never admit to loving him. He looked at her at one time, and saw a future with her. He saw a life together with her. A ring, some kids, passion and love. He saw this..... But she didn't. She wasn't willing to open up her heart and admit that she loved him. Something held her back from admitting that. But, she would open up for the sex. It was their only connection. And when it came to that, they connected well.      It started off, with him in pursuit of her. You know, the typical back and forth game of dating. They worked together, so they would see each other often. Sure, there was other women that came around for him, and she dated other men, but it all came back to one another. They never dated each other, but they always discussed it. He wanted it, he pursued it. But she decline

   What's up everyone? Today, I was strolling through Facebook, as I usually do throughout the day, and I came across the picture to the left there. Now, this is a common thought process amongst women. Since I've been "in the game," the last 14 years or so, this has been something that has been a huge joke, as long as I can remember. But what I don't understand is, why? Why do women think that a guy "busting a nut," too soon is such a horrible thing? I think I have the answer.      Here's the thing, just to get this out of the way, most guys, really don't give a shit if they cum quick. In addition, they don't care if you make fun of them and tell all of your friends. Women only do that to make themselves feel better. And in most cases, that same girl who runs and tells her friends that the guy came quick, will give that same guy another shot at the pussy. Maybe even multiple chances. So that whole cycle is completely pointless.       B

     We speak from time to time, but maybe we shouldn't.....      It's clear that she loves me, or at least cares for me very deeply. She says she loves me at least, but I can never tell if women are telling me the truth. Maybe it's the trust issues, I've always had a lot of those. Trust issues, love issues, lust issues, all the same. Why should she love me? What have I ever done for her? How is her life better with me around? I personally would think that her life is better without me. But she insists to have me around. And I.... I would never have it any other way.      We walked blind, side by side during the early years. I was once told, years later, by an unnamed source, that she and I were so perfect for each other. We were meant to be. If only we could see what she could see. She has always confided in me. She's held me in high regards, even if I tell her she shouldn't. I tell her that I'm no better than those other guys in her life, and explain t

     Love didn't always exist here.      There was once a time when it was simply desired, wished for, craved. Sure, the love of one's family has always existed, but not the love that we all dream of. The dream of finding the one, dating, holding hands, kissing, hugging, fu....well, you get the drift. The dream of that love was there, but the reality of it? Non-existent. The heart was a battlefield, filled with enemy fire, but begging for peace and happiness. What do you do when you crave that love, that feeling of acceptance, that hope of one's company and never receive it? Well, you shut down. You shut off the source of the pain. Things become dark. You become..... the villain.      The heart, this heart, his heart, the heart we speak of here is filled with bullet wounds. He could have collaborated with Wyclef Jean for the song, "911," because he had been shot down more often than not, and the bullets, were indeed, directly in the heart. Maybe that's the p

     Remember back when writing letters was cool? I remember back in middle and high school when I'd get that nice little letter from a special lady, the excitement I felt would be incredible. I use to like when they'd spray their perfume on it too before they gave it to you, or in some cases, sent it in the mail. What happened to that feeling? Has technology killed the passionate love letters? If someone took the time to write a letter to you, how would you feel about it? Excitement? Disappointment? Surprise? I feel like it means more to sit down and write those words and feelings out, but then again, I'm a writer, so I may be slightly biased. It's currently 12:40 a.m. And I wanted to bring back that feeling.       Dear You,   Whoever you are, it sucks to only see you from afar. It sucks to me to not be able to be exactly where you are. It sucks to me to hide the behind letters, emails, text messages and bars. By bars, of course I mean the lyrics to my music

     What if I told you, some times, I wish I could cry and release some of the hurt and frustration that I have been holding on to for 29 years? What if I told you that I am not proud of the individual I've become over the past year and a half, and often sit in disgust of myself and wonder what happened to me? What if I told you I want the old Raf back, but don't know how to properly kill off the new Raf in order to revert back to the past? What if I sat with you and explained that sometimes, I speak of my pain and frustrations through cryptic texts, comments, posts on social media and discussions, but nobody can properly decipher the context of said cryptic comments?      What if I told you that the smile I put on and show to you all, is a front hiding the truth, but you would never be able to tell because I rarely show true emotion? What if I told you that I'm lost in the world and don't truly know the direction in which I should go? What if I told you that your com

     A few years ago, I released an album entitled, The Miserable Mind of Marques. It was probably the most personal record that I've ever recorded, and I told a few stories that I normally wouldn't share through my music. I've always been open about my love life or my love interests for the most part, but on that album, I think I shared a lot of the pain that I'd gone through with love. Love is something I've always struggled with, and is something I still have a hard time with. I'm 29 years old, married with children, and for the most part, I'm in a good place in my life, but love is still something I struggle with. If you've listened to M3, you've probably noticed this.       I've been teasing the idea musically of a Miserable Mind of Marques pt. 2, as I feel there are more love stories to be told, as I've been through a lot that I haven't discussed, or in some cases, haven't gotten over. Music, writing the lyrics and putting it t

     Quick blog this morning from my phone. I usually never blog from anywhere but my Chromebook, but I had something on my mind that I just needed to get out really fast.      Black women, I love you. I'm not sure why I have to explain that all the time. I've always loved you. Why do I get asked or questioned about this all the time? I know my father told me that I don't have to answer to this, but I am constantly questioned about my love for women of my own color and skin tone. Until I was maybe, 20, every girlfriend I ever had was a black girl. My elementary school sweetheart, I say elementary school because we met in the 5th grade and have known each other since, is a black woman. Is it because I'm married to a white woman that I constantly have to hear this criticism and doubt of my love for black women? It's disturbing to hear this day in and day out. Not very much gets under my skin in life as far as comments are concerned, but that one pisses me off daily.

     What's going on everyone? Thanks for tuning in to me tonight, or whenever you decided to tune in. I truly appreciate it. Tonight's topic stems from a conversation I had with a young lady earlier today. This young lady I spoke with earlier is a mixed young lady, with a black mother, and a white father. Nothing wrong with that, as I'm also in an interracial relationship, but here's the problem. Her mother, is racist, but not in the way that you'd think. Her mother, who is black, is racist...... Against black people.... Sound weird? Let me continue.     I'm not sure what we were talking about that got us on this topic, but she began to explain to me how her mother wouldn't allow her and her sister to play with Barbie dolls of color, how her mother didn't like "Nappy" hair, which in her words, means natural black hair that a lot of women wear, and also, how happy her mother is that her son looks so white (she's married to a white man, jus

     When I was 17 years old, I lived on Fort Benning, Georgia, which, for those that don't know, if an Army base near the city of Columbus, Georgia, and about an hour or so south of Atlanta. I worked at the commissary back then, bagging groceries for tips. Not bad money for a 17 year old about to graduate high school, but I digress. One day, I was at work, and decided to take a break and go next door to the PX with a buddy of mine, who just so happened to be white. Normally, that doesn't matter, but it does in this particular instance.      Anyway, we go over to the PX, and we're looking around like we typically did. I checked out some video games, checked out the new music, made a mental note of some things to come back for when I had more money, etc. Before we even went into the store, we were talking about how another one of the guys that worked with us, had told us about how he had went into the PX and stolen some things. I remember thinking the dude was pretty brave,

     What's goin on everyone? Thank you for tuning in tonight, I truly appreciate it. As most of you know, in my spare time, I'm also a rapper. I'd say I'm pretty decent, and will be even better in the future, with some focus. And tonight, that's what I wanted to talk about with you all. My focus on music.     From 2007-2012, I released about four mixtapes/albums, two of which are available for free on datpiff.com (Blaze vs Doom and Love, Life, & Lyrics: The Kentucky Way). For better or for worse, when I locked in on those projects, those were the only things that mattered for me, at least as far as my focus is concerned. I would come home from work, listen to beats, write, think about different concepts at work, etc. I really set my focus on trying to make the best music, best lyrics, and best concepts that I could. In some cases, however, this was a mistake.      There were a few years there, where I was more focused on my music, than being focused on maki

     What's up everyone? Thank you all for tuning in with me tonight. I'm back with another Dear Raf Segment for the night. I haven't done one of these in a while, but I got a good topic the other night from an old friend, and I figured I'd role with it. So let's not delay any longer, and get right into it.            Dear Raf: What's with people and their insecurities in relationships?           I think it's a pretty safe assumption to say that most of us have been through this at one point or another. In this particular case, this friend's girlfriend's friend, had some insecurities in her life, and was trying to put words into his girlfriends ear, telling her to watch him as he spoke to a different female. However, the girlfriend is the one who told the guy to talk to the other woman, for his business. So really, the girlfriend's friend should have stayed out of their business, right? Moving along.     People, we really need to leave past

     I use to always think, not so long ago, that people would think I was self-centered and arrogant if I focused so much on my fashion and how I looked. Those of you who know me well probably remember a time when I didn't really care about shoes, or the outfits that I wear with them. I used to be more concerned about my gadgets, video games, and more specifically, my music collection. But around February of 2013, that all changed.      I was recovering from my second knee surgery around that time, and had grown a pretty decent beard and hobbled around in sweat pants and a baggy t-shirt, maybe 65% of the time. For one, the sweats were easier to get on over the bandaging on my leg, and two, they were comfortable. I was also not in the best of shape back then (still not where I want to be, but more on that later.), so the baggy sweats and tees covered up a lot of the fatness I had. Once I was able to walk around fairly good again after the surgery, I was out shopping with the fam

     What's goin on everyone? If you're tuned in with me right now, I thank you, and appreciate you taking the time out to read my thoughts and views. This past Thursday, my mother and I went out to the movies and saw, "Get On Up," the James Brown biopic. As far as movies like this are concerned, it's one of the best I've seen. Ray, the biopic about Ray Charles, is my favorite biopic about musicians, and I'd put Get On Up, right up there with it. I left the movie theater feeling good, and also feeling motivated to get back to writing and working on new music myself. James Brown's work ethic couldn't be matched at the time, and like it's mentioned throughout the movie, there's a bit of James Brown in everyone who followed him that did music. The man was a musical genius, but at the same time, James Brown was an asshole. And that part, the part about him being an asshole, is what got me thinking.      Every musical genius that I can think