30 Signs You're Going on 30

Welcome to another "Hey! You're getting older" post. As if you haven't read enough of these already. Yet here you are. . .reading another one. 

Last week my oldest niece and I were riding around running errands and she asked me whether she could ask me a question. I said sure and she said: 

Niece:"How old are you auntie?" 
Me: "How old do you think I am?"
Niece: "You must be old. Cuz you know a lot of stuff. You know all of my homework answers and you're smarter than my Principal." 
Me: "I'm almost 30." 
Niece: "So does that mean you're almost old? Cuz 30 is sooooo old!"
Me: "I hope you laugh at this convo when you're my age."

Gotta love the kids. 

People born in 1985 turn 30 this year. 

WHO COMMISSIONED THAT?!? 
Thirty? 
30?!!!!!!
What does this mean?
What's the learning curve?
Do I have to stop bullish*ttin or else I'm gonna feel like a failure on the daily? 
Do I have to finally be responsible? 
Is it the age I have to know better? 
Is it the age I FINALLY have to do better?
Is it the age I have to carry a sweater with me at all times?
Is it the age I start to keep tailgating chairs in my trunk in case I find myself at a parade or have to stand in a line?
Is it the age I have to stop living young and wild with 20-somethings?

Nooooooooooooooo!!! 
MAKE IT STOP!!! 
Make time stop!
How did this happen so fast?
Seems like I was just turning 25 last year!

*breathe*

Ok. 30 isn't old. 109 is old. & apparently the secret to living to 109 is avoiding men. 

10 year old me should have managed her dreams better. I'm supposed to be married to The Famous Jett Jackson (RIP) and rich with a house on the lake by now. 

You don't need to focus on that new wrinkle or that rogue gray hair(there will be more!), here are 30 signs you're going on 30: 

30. You Start to ACT Like Your Parents. 
29. You start to SOUND like your parents.
28. You've come a long way from that 18 year old who used to get overdraft fees on the regular. Or maybe not. 
27. You start to plan for retirement. 
26. You have noticeable gray hairs. 

25. Your Favorite Celebs (not named Nia Long) Have Aged. 
24. The actors who played kids on your favorite shows are all grownups with families. 
23. The actors who played the mother and father figures on your favorite shows are dying. *sigh*

22. You Wake up with Random Ailments. 
21. Not only that, but you come up with random ways to explain them because  you know if you check WebMD it's going to tell you you're dying. 
20. Your Priorities Have Changed. Face it: The things that used to be so important just aren't so important anymore. 

19. You've got a "bucket list." As in a "things to do before you die" list. 
18. You Value Spending Time With Family. 
17. You appreciate your parents more because you realize at some point they were just like you. 

16. You Don't Understand the Youth. 
15. You complain about current music and language. 
14. You stay away from "18 to party" clubs cuz those kids don't know how to act. 
13. Oh and what the hell is "Bustin out the bando?" 

12. Your Facebook Newsfeed is mostly think pieces and pictures of families.  
11. Your Approach to (life/dating/friendships)has Changed. 
10. You're playing by your own rules. You make em. You make exceptions to 'em. You break 'em. 
9. You stopped caring what other people think. You have realized it's your life and you
 live it unapologetically. Salute!

8. You're not interested in partying. 
7. You tried to party "hard" and your body failed you. 
6. You've set boundaries on fun: ONE after work happy hour/week and clubbing ONE weekend day/month. 

5. You favorite part of going to the club is when it's time to leave. 
4. Your second favorite part of going to the club is the "throwback" songs set. Those are the songs you actually know.
3. You remember "the good ol days." Like when you sang the lyrics to songs you didn't really understand and your biggest worry was what time your friends could come out to play. 

2. You spend "the weekend" doing adult things like laundry and running errands.  Next stop: Responsibility-ville with the Chief of the Fun Police.

1. You need help with Electronics. Go ahead. Ask the barely legal phone rep how to access certain features on your new phone. 

Awwww do ya feel old? Beloved, it is ok to age. Find a good moisturizer and age gracefully. As an aside, if you don't have it "all together" just be patient with yourself. We are often our own worst critics and that means we see things as worse than they really are. Things will fall into place. Resist the urge to compare yourself to your peers. You may not have your dream job, or a dream house, or be married or have a child yet, but if those things are meant for you they will happen for you. You may not be where you want to be, but with a plan in place you won't be in the same place for long. 

I'm blessed (I'm willing to bet you are too). I'm rich in ways that don't involve money (got a few coins too tho lol). And I DO have my house by the lake if you count my law school loans as a house. The deed is rolled up under my bed collecting dust. 

Live it up! 
Take Chances! 
Make Mistakes! 
Get Messy! 

Then go take a nap. 

Peace. 

It Must Be The Shoes: 8 Reasons Jordan Fanatics Aren't Your Problem

Every year around Christmas the Jordan brand releases a limited release sneaker. Every year the pandemonium around copping (or buying) said sneaker gets more ridiculous.  If you find the shoe desirable your options for copping are as follows: 
1) Standing in Line
2) Using a Sneaker Broker
3) Having a Reliable Sneaker Connect
4) Camping Out
5) Buying Them Online (the servers of the top stores usually crash)

I'm fed up. 

When I was growing up I wore all kinds of sneakers from Skechers to LA Gears to KSwiss to Jordans and everything in between. I was fresh as hell too. The most popular shoes varied each year but I remember pressing my parents for Grant Hill's, Ken Griffeys, Deion's, Scottie Pippens and Jordan's. When I got a pair of Jordan's my dad and I would go to the mall on or after the release day. There were no lines. We didn't need a special relationship with the store owner or store manager.  I tried the shoes on, he paid for them and we carried on about our day. 

Something has changed. 

What's happened recently is the Jordan brand limited releases have become a spectacle. Demand often far exceeds supply and it creates a marketplace where people go to extremes to get their hands on a pair. There are people called "sneaker brokers" who make claims to guarantee customers a pair for a fee. (See pic below).

While some Jordan's are quietly released and there isn't much hype about them, many Jordan retro releases cause people act irrationally. As I type this on Wednesday  there are people camping out pending the release of the Air Jordan 11 Retro "Legends Blue" on Saturday. Never mind that people camp out for iPhones or video games the framing of the stories about people who camp out feels different. The Jordan campers are absurd. They must not vote. They're not mentors or pillars of the community. They must not have jobs. Their priorities are mixed up. 


Full Disclosure: My 7 month old daughter has 10+ pairs of Jordans and over 30 pairs of shoes. I'm not bragging I just want you to have an idea who this is coming from. We buy for her not because we want to impress other adults (I could NOT care less what other adults think of what she's wearing. I'm her primary stylist and I style her and create custom pieces for her because of what I like her to have.), but we buy them because we want her to have them. We don't buy every pair, but if we get a pair she gets a pair too. She also has an investment account, savings accounts, and a college savings plan so judge ya mama.

For those unfamiliar with the sneaker game, in terms of serious sneaker consumers the players are "sneakerheads," "hypebeasts" & "sneaker brokers." Sneakerheads are people who collect sneakers for no other reason than they consider certain sneakers collectible items. They take special care of their sneakers. They preserve their sneakers. Keep your judgment about depreciating value. While there are other sneakers or shoes one could buy, Jordan's have maintained dominance amongst classic sneaker lovers. Then there are the "hypebeasts." Ask a sneaker head about a hypebeast if you want to see them get riled up. Hypebeasts are people who only buy shoes for the sole purpose of impressing others. They want bragging rights. They don't care how ugly or stylish the shoes are. They want them because everyone else wants them. Since hypebeasts are usually the flashiest and loudest these are likely the people most think of when they imagine Jordan fanatics. Hypebeasts are hypebeasts and nothing more. 

Not sure if someone is a hypebeast or a legit sneaker head? 
Here's the test: Sneakerheads will do things within reason to get shoes, but understand the game enough not to allow copping the shoes to supersede other priorities. Sneakerheads know there will likely be restocks. Hypebeasts are the ones camping out and paying 4x the retail price just to say they have them. Hypebeasts are also the ones skipping out on bills & meals to get them. 

"They're retro shoes! They're just gonna get released again"

Here are 8 reasons critics of Jordan Fanatics need to play the quiet game:

8. It's not YOUR Money to Spend.  Whether it's on a Battery Operated Boyfriend, Mary Jane, Taylor Swift CDs or Retro Jordan's let people spend their money the way they want to spend their money. 

7. Their Reason For Buying Them Is NOT Your Business. 
"They're just buying them to Impress Other People." 
"The children don't know the difference between Jordan's and (insert cheaper shoe)." 
Whether their cousin has a contract with Nike or they're a hype beast that camped out it does not matter. How or why they got the shoes is none of your business. 


6. They're Not Hurting YOU. When you see a person wearing Jordan's does it hurt you? When you drive by the mall and see people standing in line for a chance to buy them does that impact your world? If the answer is no it's time for you to reflect on why you're so mad.

5. All Jordan Fanatics Are NOT the same. We are lawyers, doctors, engineers, writers, and dentists. We are athletes, entrepreneurs and blue collar workers with undeniable work ethics. Just like any other clusters there are a few ignorant people in the bunch making the rest of us look bad. They're the ones blaming the shoes for their choice to go out robbing, fighting, destroying property and harming others. For the most part we just wanna buy our shoes and go about our business. 

4. Worry About Yourself. Don't you have a 401(k) to brag about? A car that needs an oil change? A credit card bill that needs paying? A drink to drank? Stop worrying about how other people live their lives or how they're managing to do so much. Live & let live!

3. You're Focusing Too Much On Someone Else. 
"They can afford Jordans, but their kids don't have college funds?"
"She bought Jordan's for her whole family, but she doesn't work" 
"They're buying Jordan's, but they don't own their home"
I know social media makes it hard for us to mind our own business, but more people should try it. Shift your focus and figure out how to make your own life better.

2. Their Priorities are NOT Yours to Make. What's it to YOU if it looks like their priorities are messed up? Why does it bother you so much what someone else chooses to do with their money? So what because someone is buying Jordan's but doesn't have a car?? Yes. I said it. SO WHAT?! If they're ok with getting on the bus wearing $200 sneakers why can't you be ok with them doing it? You can't want more for someone than they want for themselves. It's not your job to do the math of how much it would cost them to own a car vs buying Jordan's once a month. Let them be fresh as hell on the city bus. Less traffic for the rest of us. 

1. You're no Better Because You Think You Know Better. Just as Jordan fanatics are not horrible people for buying the shoes, the people who choose not to buy them are no better. Be Clear: Jordan fanatics are not better people, parents, children, aunts or uncles because they buy Air Jordan's. They are no less of the same for choosing to do so. If you want to enlighten people about corporate practices that is one thing, but to make comments because you think you're better than them for never having purchased or owned a pair is another. 

Everything is not meant for everyone to understand. I don't understand why people book layovers on domestic flights. I also don't understand why I wasn't in Beyonce's 7/11 video, but I still manage. 

Before ya go criticizing me and telling me how Jordan doesn't care about the black community or how he hasn't done anything to uplift the black community. . .these notions are not new to me. I think the obsession with the shoes has gotten out of hand. I also think the obsession with many things has gotten out of hand. Look around. We're living in a time where people make decisions based on Instagram likes. There's so much more things we could pick battles about. They're JUST shoes y'all. 

Micheal Jordan is still the greatest basketball player of all time. 

Peace. 

Ratchet TV RECAPS: Love & Hip-Hop Atlanta Season 2 Episode 2

15 minutes before the show starts and I'm not sure I want to keep watching. Last season I wavered because there were points when it seemed TOO scripted. I know what I DO NOT WANT TO SEE: Mimi looking stupid. Her level of stupidity is almost unbelievable. I'm hard pressed to believe it's all for the sake of good tv. Anyway, in case you're just tuning in to these posts here's how it goes: 

I watch LAHH: ATL during the first showing and share my unfiltered thoughts about the goings on of the episode. Throughout this time you are free to add comments as you see fit. I will update the post after each commercial break and add final commentary and photos. Viola! Magic. 

*Sips wine*

I'm here for the women with boyfriends and boo thangs who refuse to watch LAHH:ATL with them.  

Good thing I tuned in 2 minutes early. Caught another preview of what's to come this season. Gotta admit I'm STILL not excited. 

SHOWTIME!!! 

8:01PM Joseline starts off the episode with Stevie J in her bed. Dah well guess the love triangle still lives on. Joseline tells Stevie for the umpteenth time she wants to let their "relationship" go. Joseline says her job is to be a "bad bitch." Stevie seems to think he's some sort of "gatekeeper." 

8:04PM Erica welcomes Scrappy home. I assumed he was in jail, but she says he was out doing shows. Scrappy is rockin the finest mall kiosk jewelry and the best designer clothes a booster can remove the security tags from. Ooooooh snap! He's rockin a leather vest. Let me find out Joe Budden has an underground vest line. Wait Scrappy's government name is Darryl? But he wants us to call him Skris-nah-eee? Noted. 

8:07PM Who is this motherfu. . .beloved woman? Oh DJ Traci Steele. Never heard of her. Her claim to fame is that she dated Chris Brown's DJ 6 years ago. Is that supposed to mean something? Ok girl. I'm putting my tv on mute. I'm gonna guess this is the person who will say, "They only want you cuz you're Chris Brown's DJ." She strikes me as the type of woman who had a baby to keep a man. & failed. Miserably.

**Break**

8:16PM Mimi is in the gym punching bags with KC 2.0. Yeaaa, but she sat there and let Joseline play her to the left in her house. Joseline would proly mollywhop Mimikins. "You can't watch over a man" is perhaps the smartest thing I've ever heard KC 2.0 say. Mimi says she's not doing it anymore. I don't believe her. She's too old for this shit. Really.

8:19PM Joseline meets some kid named Dawn at Thrive in Atlanta. Somethin about them being hustlers. Chile they used to be hooking together. She tells Joseline how much she's been making. I find it disturbing that she's so "about" her money, but she doesn't know what's on the books or in her contract. "I'm just fucking him, going out to eat, having fun." Ok girl. 

8:22PM Momma Dee met up with Buckeey. Why is she here  feeding this poor girl lies behind the wheel of a Coupe de Ville? Momma Dee decided it was ok to invite Buckeey to the studio. She reminds me of one of those women from "The Wire."

**Break**

8:28PM That DJ girl is back. Her name is Traci and she keeps calling her son Baby Drew. Traci lost her mind because she thought having a baby would make him stay around. He just straight up asked her for $25k to help him open a sneaker store. She co-signed a truck that he let "groupie bitches" drive. She's so bitter. Everything for her goes back to hoes. This right here is a woman scorned. She's what I call "a stupid hoe." She's REALLY letting this man sell her pipe dreams. Amazing. 

8:31PM Scrappy visits Erica's mom. Why are there so many undone buttons on his button down shirt? Her mom wants to know some thangs. Can't blame her. 

8:33PM Joseline meets up with Stevie. She asks questions about her contract. He refuses to give her a copy of her contract. This feels like one of those deals where the artist gets a Cadillac. Stevie J is a pimp ass negro. 

**Break** 

8:39PM Mimi secured her own spot. No not with Stevie J. She got her own place for real this time. & she probably didn't even need a co-signer. I get the feeling this is a first for Mimi. I don't know about KC 2.0 as her main confidante. Her ass is so big and perky tho #norainbow LOL!

8:40PM Scrappy is in the studio. "He put them paws on em" is about to be a real life single. I can already tell it's gonna be TRASH or what would he call it? Triz-nah-ee. Momma Dee is totally in love with her son. It's disgusting. In walks Buckeey. This is pitiful. Pretty sure Momma Dee wants to dip her finger in that sugar bowl. Sittin up there lookin like Scar. 

**Break** 

8:45PM Buckeey thinks Scri-nah-eee owes her an apologiz-nah-ee. Scar leaves at the perfect time and they are alone. I guess this is Buckeey's way to get her closure. She's ugly crying on tv tho and her weave is triz-nah-ee. Shay says she deserved better because she is "a good person." That is what everyone says. It carries no weight. Who is gonna voluntarily proclaim to be a bad person? 

8:48PM Stevie goes to see old man no-neck (Benzino). What world are we living in where Benzino is the voice of reason? & he's upset Stevie changed his number? So is he one of the people riding Stevie's "bus?" Why is Stevie drinking and driving tho?

**Break** 

8:55PM Alright let's see what cliffhanger will make us want to tune in next week. Stevie comes home with flowers and a gift. He's been gone for a few days & calls it "taking care of business." Please. He's been laid up in sin with Joseline. Well this went LEFT quite quickly. I don't think I've ever seen a man use a child as a tool for control. He has real control issues. 

We get to see that Stevie won't take Mimi's leaving him sitting down. He gets man handled by security. Momma Dee and Erica will eventually try to get physical as well as Rashida and KC 2.0. I do know one thing: There are a lot of angry and bitter people on this show. 

Well there ya have it folks. Episode 2 is over. Will you be tuning in next week? 

RATCHETLANTA BACK: Love & Hip-Hop ATL's Season 2 Premiere

Before we get started...I need y'all to know how EXCITED I am to return to blogging. I know it's a little much that I decided to return along with Love & Hip Hop Atlanta, but I'm not bothered by your judgment. I thought it fitting since LAHHATL helped me realize my blogging potential. 

I started a full-time job this past February so I haven't been particularly motivated to blog after writing and looking at computer screens for a living. All I got is a promise and a desire to do better. As soon as I can find a balance, I'll get back to keeping you all in the loop about the ratchet goings on in this world. 

I apologize in advance cuz I know this post shall be laced with cuss after cuss. Forgive me if you're offended. 

In case you don't know where we left off...you can read my recaps from the reunion HERE and HERE. 

8:00PM As always, we start with a recap of what happened last season. We've got Buckeey, Steebie Joseline, Mimi, Rasheeda, K. Michelle's crazy ass and the others. Don't bother telling me their names. Them shits don't matter 

Bring on the gah damn show! 

8:02PM Confession: I'm not sure what to expect. I'm just ready to get to seeing some tables shaking. Wait a minute. Why are we watching Mimi shower? Was there a question about her cleanliness? Is she combating stanky puss rumors with this shower scene? I'm asking for a friend :). 

This basic bitch (yes, I called her a bitch!) Mimi starts out saying she's cleaning house and then we cut to find out she's at Stevie J's house. OMG their daughter is adorable!!!!! Mimi's really on her bullshit again this season I see. Word on the street is Stevie has a mean stroke. Dickmatization is real outchea. 

8:05PM We cut to Erica and Scrappy's house. Erica's helping Scrappy humblebrag about his designer "swag." Why is this room looking so empty? Scrappy claims he can't wear anything twice. I've heard that he keeps the boosters paid sooooooo I'm not buying all this "swag." 

8:07PM And here we go. Joseline finally gets her air time. She's in rehearsal. Stevie says they're the hottest team in the industry. Goodness Joseline has a phatty! In case you didn't know, they hand out phatty's in Atlanta at the Waffle house. Go get you one! But get in line behind me. 

**Break**

8:15PM Buckeey gets her time to shine bright like aluminum foil. She's tryna understand how Scrappy played her to the left. Of course she's decided the best way to get answers is to confide in Momma Dee. Momma Dee is what folks in the hood would call "Green as f*ck!" Look it up on Urban Dictionary.

8:17PM It's K. Michelle's turn in the flashlight. She says her life is amazing because of her deal with Warner Brothers. Kudos to her. I'm still thinkin she's the same crazy she was last season. I just don't wanna hear her talk about how that man beat her ass. She also mentions somethin about having "fans." Not sure where that came from. 

8:20PM Erica and her mom are in a jewelry store. HOLY SHIT! They're getting her ring appraised. This is some disrespectful low down dirty kinda shut yo mouf. Wow! Just Wow! Now if he comes back & tells her it's worth $700 she gone be mad. Well it's worth $21, 200. Woop de damn doo. 
**Break**


8:26PM Somebody done gave BenNONECKZino a late night show on v-103 in Atlanta. Still no word on whether his neck is scheduled to make an appearance. Jury is still out after he simped for Karlie Redd last season. Joseline reveals she makes about "20 stacks per week doing shows." That's $20,000. I'm clearly in the wrong career field. Joseline is 26? Damn life been rough on her. I'da put her at 31. Oops. 


8:29PM K. Michelle & Erica are having dinner. Not much to discuss here except that K. Michelle wants to throw Erica an "intimate engagement party." & now we start to set up for the first fight of the season. KC 2.0 is ALWAYS looking for drama. Y'all know that. Ariane (Mimi's friend) revealed she once opened up her HOT POCKET for one of Keyshia Cole 2.0's exes and she hadn't told her. That's a violation of the G code in KC 2.0's eyes. How in the world is she still finding ways to be hurt? Girl BYE! 

8:31PM Stevie J walked up in Joseline's apartment like he owned that hoe. Nice to see that Joseline has these wall applique flowers from Ikea in her place. She's just a regular woman like you & me. In case you couldn't tell by now, these two are still smanging. Mimi must be a terrible lay. 

**Break**

8:37PM MiMi & Ariane are en route to Erica's engagement party. In the words of Katrina Laverne: "Oh is all of this over some dick?"Soooo this engagement party is a table at a lounge? I hope my friends like me enough to throw me a big hat tea. 

8:40PM MiMi explains she's living with Stevie to keep Joseline from around her daughter. Nobody is buying it, but we're not here to judge. Girl get you some gah damn sense, k? Meanwhile, Erica is tryna establish her victory with Lil Scrappy. Wonder who he's gonna put them paws on this season?

Here comes our first conflict. I hope y'all have learned to spot this kinda shit from a mile away. If you haven't, please email me because I have failed you. Ariane says she fucks with KC 2.0 & KC 2.0 says she fucks with her too. Not sure why they're yelling tho. BTW, I love Ariane. Hold up. These heffas just kissed on the lips. Wonder how much residual dic...nevermind. 

**Break**

8:45PM Is it creepy that I think Momma Dee is the kind of single muva to be in love with her son? Moving on. Momma Dee showed up to make a case against Scrappy's fiance. I know that's his moms and all, but Scrappy's mama needs help. I can understand Scrappy's mindset because I get to see how the person who raised him acts. She's certified! 

Who gives a good got damn how Buckeey feels? She needs to move on. Scrappy tells his mom to respect his decision and to try to have a relationship with Erica. That's real life right there. 

8:48PM Stevie J asks MiMi whether she's happy. Guess gettin good pipe aint good enough for her these days. She says they have been spending more time together since he kicked Joseline out. Duh! Don't yaw live together? She cannot be this damned clueless! 

8:50PM Joseline walks into Stevie's house. No knock. No doorbell. No announcement of who she is. She probably still has her house key. She says to MiMi, "I see you got on your maid outfit like you always do." Holy hell! This woman has some balls. She called Mimi "Molly the Maid" ooooohhhhh myyy gawddddd I can't hardly take it. Then, MiMi INSTRUCTS Joseline to leave. No no no that's now how it works. You don't ASK someone to leave your own house. What you won't do is pop up to my house This is how I know MiMi is a lost cause: She kicked the so-called "side-chick" out, but he left with her "him." You lost, babygirl. 15 years & you still don't have a grip. 

**Break**

8:56PM & we're reminded that Joseline's snatch is yankin. MiMi is surprised (whoo chile!) that Stevie left with Joseline. The censor person needs to be fired, by the way. Why is MiMi gettin SO AGGRESSIVE right now? Too late to be thuggin right now. Stevie leaves the room by saying "Clean my room Molly Maid." Consider me DONE!  

What did you think of this week's episode? Did I miss any major moments? Did y'all peep the previews from the episodes coming up? Will you be watching this season? I'm listening. 

Twitter: @LegallyRatchet1

Facebook: Talented Generation

Email: TalentedGeneration@gmail.com

Little Known Ratchet History Fact #2: "The FIRST Hook UP"

Join me on this 87th anniversary of Negro History Week as I share some little known facts about ratchet history throughout this month. Why? Because ratchets deserve history books and you will DEAL! In today's installment, we learn about The "Hook Up."

Cheryl "Peaches" Delaney of Englewood, NJ, was working the night shift at a McDonald's in 1974. The 16 year-old high school junior had just been severely reprimanded by her manager, one Albert Mahoney, over her Afro hairdo being unprofessional.

Mahoney gave her an ultimatum of wearing a clown hat or being fired, and Delaney, working to save money for cosmetology school, relented and wore the clown hat.

Hours later, she noticed several of her classmates at the drive-through window, on their way to a party. Luscious Jones, Fred Williams, Eddie James, and Derrick Clemmons were riding in a green AMC Pacer(pictured below). The four of them ordered four hamburgers, and were going to split three orders of fries and two Cokes.
Peaches, who was filling the order, noticing that Mahoney (the  manager) had taken his nightly thirty-minute bathroom break, had an epiphany. She locked eyes with Lawanda, who was on fries, and Fat Sam, who was on the register and in a blur of motion, they stuffed  4 jumbo bags with 15 hamburgers, 5 cheeseburgers and 6 orders of large fries accepting only $1.01 from Luscious Jones as payment.

Cheryl "Peaches" Delaney had invented. . ."The Hook-Up."

We salute you Ms. Cheryl "Peaches" Delaney..  . A Leader in Ratchet-American History!

Shout out to Rodney for sharing this. 

Twitter: @LegallyRatchet1

Facebook: Talented Generation

Email: TalentedGeneration@gmail.com

Little Known Ratchet History Fact #1: The "Twerk" Revolution

Happy Black History Month!!!   

I know your favorite blogs, radio shows and tv networks are doing the obligatory nod to great moments in black history. You're gonna hear stories about Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jim Crow and The Montgomery Bus Boycott among other things. This AIN'T what that is. The time is long overdue for us to salute ratchets for their contributions to American History. That time is now. 

Join me on this 87th anniversary of Negro History Week as I share some little known facts about ratchet history throughout this month. Why? Because ratchets deserve history books and you will DEAL. In today's installment, we learn about The "Twerk" Revolution. 

Twerk (v): A combination of dance moves that involve wining and gyrating one's hips and booty in a sexually provocative manner. Made popular by a group of Atlanta-based dancers called "The Twerk Team." 

According to their Facebook Fan Page (get into it!), the Twerk Team is an Atlanta based dance group that started in 2005. The two official members, Mizz Twerksum and Lady Luscious, got their start by dancing at house parties. The two got their big break after they posted a video of them dancing to Soulja Boy's "She Got a Donk" and it got over 1 million views on Youtube in the 1st week. 

Although the group currently has two official members, the ladies have added (and cut) other members like Betty Butt, Kandy Girl and Shawty Bear. Some time in 2009, they began building a following with their #TwerkTeamThursday booty shaking videos. At that time, Thursdays signaled the release of new videos by the three ladies "twerking" to different rap and hip-hop songs. When Waka Flocka Flames gave them props in his "Ass Clap" song with the line "Bounce that ass/shake that ass like the Twerk Team" he sent amateur twerkers into a frenzy and helped The Twerk Team take their career to the next level. 

Once the Twerk Team's career took off, the Twerking Revolution began.  The ladies began traveling nationwide to do shows and host/judge Twerking Contests. Thousands of women began uploading videos of themselves twerking in their underwear at home. A quick check of the site YouTwerk.com shows just how many "girls next door" are twerking. There have been twerking contests via Twitter, WorldStarHipHop and even Facebook (which is usually behind on the ratchet curve). If you don't have at least one person uploading videos of themselves twerking with captions like "just playing around" you're losing at using social media.

I'm from South Florida so I'm down with all kinds of dancing. The women (and men) in South Florida have been twerking since Morgan Freeman was a lil boy, but the Twerk Team has made it a "thing." iSalute them for that. Twerk Team's videos feature the women wearing form fitting clothes while twerking to popular songs in front of a large mirror inside of a home. Their videos average 1 million views. To the untrained eye, it appears the ladies merely throw on a pair of shorts in an empty house and dance the same damn dances to whatever song is getting the most radio play. And that's fine. 

You can follow them on twitter: @TwerkTeam 
So what do you think of the Twerk Revolution? Do you know any amateur twerkers? Do you or any of your friends twerk? I'm listening. 

Twitter: @LegallyRatchet1

Facebook: Talented Generation

Email: TalentedGeneration@gmail.com

Ratchet Song of the Day: USDA's "Throw This Money"

Happy Black History Month!!! *Snickers*
Today's song is brought to you by BYOB strip clubs and portable stripper poles. What better way to celebrate Black History Month and the Friday before the Superbowl than with a ratchet song? Young Jeezy and his crew are responsible for this one. The men of USDA & CTE gave us a strip club anthem and the music industry is better for it. Listen with me. Warning: This version is NOT suitable for work.

If you're one who likes strip clubs, I suggest you add this to your iTunes asaptually. With a straightforward chorus line, "Gone shake ya a$$ b*tch imma throw this money" the men of USDA are giving all strippers (and the women who secretly envy them) something to dance to. If it makes you feel better, tune out the lyrics and just dance to the beat. Now put this joint on repeat until you're in the mood to make it rain in the nearest strip club! 

Twitter: @LegallyRatchet1

Facebook: Talented Generation

Email: TalentedGeneration@gmail.com