I was reading a USA Today cover story about  the sexual behavior of college students of today. It seems that more "hooking up" is occurring in lieu of actual relationships because of the disproportionate numbers between males and females -- Since women outnumber men in college, men have the upper had in negotiating these sexual terms according to the article. Hooking up can be anything from kissing, touching in the Nether regions (like some of yall used to do on them school trips, mmhm don't lie), oral sex, or sex (bong chicka wah wah), and can have titles attached to it like the oh so famous "friends with benefits". The article also sheds light on the abstinence movement that seems to be growing from previous years. They cite personal preference and having other more important responsibilities such as work, as reasons for this growth.

I think that both men and women need to take more responsibility for themselves and each other. Women should set higher standards for themselves and men should respect women more. Now I'm not perfect, so I understand the temptation that presents itself if you're around girls who will let you do what you want with them, but as men, being created first by God, I think we have an obligation to show restraint in indulging in our lusts and to treat women with honor, respect, and care for them in spite of what they may allow us to do. I say this because I once heard a sermon where the preacher said Eve bit the apple first, but it wasn't sin until Adam did it. On the flip side, women need to figure out how to use, not misuse their power (Y'all know what the power is ladies ;) in a healthier way. I don't think "hooking up" produces any long term benefits, because it's a respect thing. "Yeah I'll hook up with you and as long as you givin, I'm takin", but is a true respect ever produced going that route? That's one way of viewing it.

The internet age that we live in has made these kinds of interactions easier to engage in. First of all, everyone seems to be "plugged in" to some electronic device 24/7, whether it be cell phones, computers, iPods, etc. Also, social networking has seemingly become more important than human to human interaction. In perpetuity, relationship skills won't be developed and the easier option of just hooking up with your "friend with benefits" becomes the norm.

We need relationships as human beings. Healthy relationships. Relationships where sex is used to strengthen the bond between the two individuals, not as a bargaining tool to become boyfriend and girlfriend. Again, I'm not judging if you hookup or not, I just feel that with the divorce rate in this country as high as it is and the amount of single women that there are (especially in the black community) authentic relationships need to be developed for the good of the community.

Read the full article by clicking here and let me know what your viewpoint is as you listen to Ciara.

I started reading the book Little Bee after a friend of my girl friends was explaining to the both of us how emotional she got while reading a certain part in the book. After hearing them discuss some of the book and the talks of a film being made based on the book, I told them I would read it. My girlfriend of course gives me the, "Yeah right, you're not gonna be into it". Never to be shown up, I borrowed my gf's copy and began to read.

Written by Chris Cleave, Little Bee is a tale of how two women end up in each others lives after a tragic event. What's more, these women are from completely different backgrounds and the chance meeting evolves into a complex relationship between the two.

Cleave writes very descriptively, placing you right in the middle of the scenes he depicts, causing you to visualize all the nuances of the conversations and atmospheres. Also, Cleave does a great job of alluding to the relationship dynamics between characters. I'm only two chapters in and I'm sure the rest of the book will be just as compelling, and I can see why producers want to make this into a film. Get a copy of Little Bee from the amazon link below, read it, and then let's discuss the story and underlying themes.

I finished listening to the new Pusha T mixtape "Fear of God", and it's everything that you can expect from Pusha: "coke" rap over "dope" beats...I think they call that a speedball. I've been a fan of the Clipse for years so I may be a little bias (not to mention Pusha and I share the same name) but this is honestly a mixtape that lives up to the hype. Pusha's word play and delivery stay on par with his track record as one half of the Clipse.

Staying with the religious theme that the Clipse often use, "Fear of God" starts off grandiose with the opening tracks My God and I Still Wanna, and becomes more introspective and melancholy in the middle of the project with songs like Open Your Eyes and Can I Live, in which he uses the Jay-z track of the same name.

My favorite tracks on the mixtape are Raid (What can I say? It's Push on a Neptunes track), My God and Cook It Down. It's clear with this latest effort that Pusha can hold his own as a solo artist and he still delivers the same quality that we are accustomed to with the Clipse. Take a listen for yourself here.

Take a listen to my latest production "You and Me" by Lova and myself, collectively called LouisPenn. Hit up Lova's magazine here.

Watch this new film "EXPECTation" by Majorfilms, and follow her here. Music composed by me.

So, I've been making changes to this site and this blog is one of those changes. I've been debating for a while on whether or not I had the time and patience to start blogging, but after much consideration I felt that my unique viewpoint would be of interest to you all (I mean that in the humblest way, haha). I also felt that having a blog, functioning as my Welcome/Home page, would be a better way to share any breaking news and current events regarding my music, and also allow us to have open discussions as you leave your comments below. Keep checking back. There are more additions to come in the near future!

Terence