Shoutout to the best father ever...

Me and my father, circa 1987.

There aren't many pro Father rap songs around because hip hop was so often used as a template to mine the pain of black males at the loss or abandonment of their father figures. Father abandonment within the Black community within the past 20-30 years has been exacerbated by the war on drugs, the crack epidemic and the pitting of under-educated black males against black women within the job market. As a result of this, so many young men and women are trapped within the cycle of abandonment, crime, low self esteem or poverty. Probably the most positive "pro-Father" song would be from Fabolous' "Stay" off of 2009s Loso's Way.  In the song, Fab talks about how his father leaving him and other black men have effected their lives and how he strives to set a better example for his children. On a day like Father's Day, its important to give thanks or acknowledge the impact that men being fathers have in the lives of children and the community around them.








I'm glad I know my dad. Not just know him, but actually can call him and ask for advice (which I do about every thing be it important or minute).  My dad taught me everything from how to use tools and fix things, how to shave and tie a Windsor knot, to throw a baseball & football and how to shoot a basketball and more important how to be a man and a good human being. Him and my mother went to work everyday and for a period, came home to cook and help my younger brother and I do our school work and then finally work on finishing their degrees. He never shied away from his mistakes and taught me that even when you make a mistake, you can and should fix it.

My dad was the father figure for all of my neighborhood friends, helping them throw a better spiral or take a better baseball swing too. No matter how I felt about him and my mom or anything, I never taken for granted how important a father is in the life of a male. Especially when my friends and neighbors envied me, I knew that I was for lack of a better word: blessed. Yes, there are mothers who are busy taking on both of the roles of mother and father and who are doing an excellent job. But Fathers day is one of the most under recognized holidays out of the year (ask any restauranteur if their business is busier on Fathers Day or Mother's Day) and often the guys who are challenging the notions that Black males are good fathers are left under appreciated. You may have a dynamic mother who stepped up and did a great job in the absence of a father. Give her a great Mothers day. Spend today thanking the men your life for what they contribute.

Happy Fathers day Dad and the other fathers around the world. (Special shout out to my younger brother who is a soon to be Father).