Essence of DOPE
Posts tagged Eritrea
The Habesha Dream
Feb 22nd
I struggle with the idea of fulfilling that dream—whether I am doing it for my parents or for myself. I am torn between the two aspects because I am caught in between two dreams.
by Shiwet Kidane written: Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012
Growing up our parents instilled a lot of nationalism for our countries for either Eritrea or Ethiopia. I can recall wearing itchy Eritrean sweaters that said freedom 1991. I remember growing up to be proud of where I come from and my parents used to tell me things about my history and said they wanted us to be leaders and go back and use our knowledge to build back in my mother country. I remember my mom touching her heart every time I tried speaking tigrinya as a child and my dad grabbing me from outside at Habesha parties to dance with him. I remember around my country people that I was allowed to feel really comfortable and that I felt a sense of community in the diaspora.
My mom would tell me that I had a bigger responsibility beyond myself—that I had the duty to help others. Some could say that my parents were instilling in me what some More >
Picture Perfect
Feb 16th
Not everyone will see things my way, but when some do, cherish those people instead of fighting empty battles.
by Teddy Fikre written: Thursday, February 16th, 2012
Let me reveal a few things about me to you; let me paint a perfect picture for those who misunderstand me. You see, there are two sides to me: 1) the shining star that shines light on my people based on the theory of Hebret 2) the dark star that emits rays of odium on those who dare spit hatred my way. This seeming contradiction, a vacillation between love and odium, has served me well in terms of marketing and reaching a wide audience. After all, there is a reason why TMZ has a wider reach than CNN. However, the vacillation has also injured my soul and in the process served to lessen my credibility in the Ethiopian and Eritrean community.
Here is the thing. To be honest, off the break, I am a kind person. Yeah I know I can come across as a bit arrogant, but when it comes down to it, I give everyone a chance until they give me a reason to doubt them. I believe in Hebret deeply, shit when I More >
Tattoos and Taboos
Feb 15th
We are headed towards a cultural oblivion, yet we continue to write the story of our collective destruction one tattoo at a time.
by Teddy Fikre written: Wednesday, February 15th, 2012
This article was inspired by one of my boys, a DOPE artist, a DOPE poet, and a DOPE wendem overall. He is actually my conscience, behind the scenes he is always telling me to get my shit together and stop writing baseless and asinine articles about useless souls who attack me and instead focus my God given talents to write about humanity—its flaws and it’s beauty. I have a thousand consciences heeding me to lead Ethiopians down the path of redemption instead of invoking hatred and a vindictive nature to lead us down the path of damnation.
So today, I asked my conscience behind the scenes what I should write about on www.browncondor.com. Yeah I times I run split lick dry out of ideas and thus I turn to my friends to give me a topic to split open like a coconut and nourish the minds of Ethiopians with the milk of magnesia of that very coconut. Thus he told me to split open the coconut of the taboo that is tattoos More >
Rest With Peace Whitney Houston
Feb 11th
I looked to you Whitney with sadness and love mixed with regret and misery, you made me smile, now you are gone, I remain crying in pain::
by Teddy Fikre written: Saturday, February 11th, 2012
Rest with Peace Whitney Houston
You are gone in one moment of my time You taught me to love unbendingly You lived to be the very best You had it all no time for less Yes now you are gone Filled me with sadness and regret You don’t understand how much I loved With you I was loved endlessly Now I have nothingness I am a dark soul in brightness You were my Queen my main Nigist Now a king resides in distress I sleep on my couch in a mess
You were the one who had it all Until you married that higga You know who That fucker Bobby He took your voice Had you cracked up with crack He left you in dust and ashes Your nose bleeding from white substance Bobby took an angel like you And clipped your wings Had you crash back to earth Robbed you of your halo Left singing hello without a cello Now I hear empty echoes A cacophony of endless nos
I miss you dearly Whitney I swear i hate writing this shit I did not want the last thing I write To be a eulogy of your last breath I More >
BC Puzzle
Feb 10th
This a DOPE Puzzle, way more DOPER than Google and harder to play than Atari. This is the inaugural Brown Condor puzzle, enechawet lijoch, let’s go Meto Gena in eko::
by Teddy Fikre written: Friday, February 10th, 2012
This the first ever Brown Condor puzzle. If you think, no scratch that, if you think this is DOPER than google, share it on your wall, email it to your friends, and mos def tweet about it on twitter using #BCPuzzle. Now, solve this puzzle, first person that solves this puzzle gets 4 bags of Kolo, 8 bags of Shembere, and 10 gallons of Atmit. Tolo tolo sewoch, enechawet ahun. Send the solved puzzle back to me (info@browncondor.com) to claim your prize.
Keep scrolling down to see rest of article!
“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.” ~Albert Einstein
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Habesha Mailbag 3.0
Feb 10th
Welcome back for Habesha Mailbag 3.0
This is the third edition of the Habesha Mailbag; last week’s mailbag was a smashing success, time to build on the success.
by Teddy Fikre written: Friday, February 10th, 2012
OK so it’s finally Friday, it’s Arb, it’s almost z weekend eko:: You know what that means?? Time to dust off another edition—or is that rendition—of Habesha Mailbag 3.0. But first a few programming notes, a big old Shout Out to Meron Alemayehu, DJ Banti, and all my big foreheadiye setoch in z universe. I love all yall the same, even if I have a big old scratch on my foreheadiye compliments of these two Habesha democh who fought last night at shadow room and decided to claw yours truly Teddisho above my right eye. Also, a big shout out to Lebron James aka @kingjames who decided to dunk Teddisho on my forehead for simply telling him that his hairline was receding like the Pacific Ocean. What nigga, you can’t handle a joke, fucking lame ass Heat, your boy Dwayne Wade is the real King of Miami.
Anyway, enough of that bullshit, on to z mailbag aydel:: So first and foremost, a shout out to the DOPEST author More >
Seeker of Truth
Feb 8th
I appreciate your light, your essence; in your eyes I see freedom, justice, and most of all homage to 3,000,000 black folks dead in the Atlantic Ocean.
by Teddy Fikre written: Thursday, February 8th, 2012
Talib Kweli. Let me say that again. Talib Kweli. His first name Talib means “student” or “seeker” in Arabic and his last name in Swahili means “truth” or “true”. So let me say that again, a seeker of Truth. That is what my man Talib Kweli is, a student of true—a true revolutionary on a jihad of self awareness who is educating along the way the masses who live in dark lit corners. He is a prophet who is in essence profiting me and my people, one nod heading beat and bar at a time.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Kweli grew up in a highly educated household in Park Slope. His mother, Brenda Greene, is an English professor at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York and his father an administrator at Adelphi University. His younger brother, Jamal Greene, is a professor of Constitutional Law at Columbia Law School, and former clerk to Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court. As a youth, More >
Like Me
Feb 5th
Ever since I was young
I have been blessed with a curse
Not too many people liked me
No really, see I think differently
Thus I attract glares and animosity
I like to think I am kind
Really, even movies I rewind
I go out of my way to help people
I have given people my last dollar
My credit card and keys to my house and car
My weakness is seeing people that are weak
Thinking that I could save them with love
And for that I have been hurt a lot
Though I can be vindictive
If you cross or try to get over on me
People that have wronged me
Have rued the wrath of Teddy
But overall I think I am a good guy
So why is it that I draw odium?
Standing ovation of ire on a podium
When I was seven in Ethiopia
In Lycee I was never in the in-crowd
I thought maybe because I wore fresh boots
My dad bought from me from Italy
Could it be they thought we were rich?
That’s it; the ire is because we were wealthy
No it can’t be, for we were never “loaded”
My parents always struggled to take care of us
So the illusion of money was just a chimera
Then we moved to America
Thought things would be different
Yet I attract the hatred More >
Habesha Mailbag
Feb 3rd
Welcome back for Habesha Mailbag 2.0
This is the second edition of the Habesha Mailbag; last week’s mailbag was a smashing success, time to build on the success.
by Teddy Fikre written: Friday, January 3rd, 2012
This is the second edition of the Habesha Mailbag; last week’s mailbag was a smashing success, time to build on the success.
Alright sewoch, endet nachew? Melkam Arb, Happy Friday, I bet you are ready to get the weekend popping after a long week of working. I feel you boo boos (yeah I know that is a bit feminine, but I am making it masculine). Anyway, it’s that time of the week where I interact with my readers and see what we come up with together. I am sure to laugh my Qit off while reading their questions and comments and then laugh my Qit off again while responding—what can I say, I know how to make myself laugh.
Now before we get to the emails. Since this is an article inspired by Bill Simmons, let me take a quick attempt to be a sports pundit. My prediction for the Super Bowl is that the little blue giants (aka the New York Viagra) will lose to the New England More >
Dope Mathematics
Jan 30th
The money we waste on a daily basis could ensure that no children in Ethiopia or Eritrea die from malnutrition or HIV/AIDS.
by Teddy Fikre written: Monday, January 31st, 2012
Time for me to put on my Mos Def hat and turn to mathematics to count up the ways and errors of my life. I will add up multiple negative moments—and some upbeat times—to arrive at a number that I am sure will not be too positive. This article was inspired by a conversation I shared yesterday evening with my fraternity brother Robert Sinclair from Nasty Nu Psi. We were talking about the various things we have done in our lives, the times we have escaped the clutches of countless hazards and lived to tweet about it. We are the luckiest fellas in the world, while a guy like Ayana Werku Tegegnedies dies from liver disease before barely taking a sip of liquor; we continue to lead healthy lives indifferent to the dangers around dark lit corners waiting for us. This world, it is cruel and uncaring, the good ones die young and the sinner live for an eternity.
It was at this point I conveyed to Robert that my ass was dead More >