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For as long as the genre of rap music has been around, we as listeners are always treated to some of the grimiest tales from the hoods and streets.  How many times have we heard the so called "tales of the streets," usually filled with some instance of selling kilos of cocaine, or pulling the 40 cal out on a kid, or brushes with 5-0 that usually lands the artist in prison, or the time the artist and his crew were waitin' in the whip ready to bust someone's head open?  These stories usually captivate us because the majority of us either never lived that life and are drawn to the excitement, or we just simply crave that "I'll bust yo' head wide open" type ish' because, I mean come on, what else would we listen to, Kirk Franklin?

Most of us enjoy the music for the sake of enjoying the music, I mean we're not going to dig that far into an artist's background to realize maybe that kilo of cocaine MC Bustagun sold might have actually been his boy, but who cares?  Well it seems within the past few weeks, we've had some of our older heads, so called "OG's" obviously pissed and upset, crying over at Shade 45 and Atlanta's Power 107, about what seems to be nothing more than attempts to get everyone's attention placed squarely on them, to remember what they did as "OG's" and what they accomplished years ago, but here's my issue.  WHO CARES?  Would someone please tell Mr. Calvin Klein and Pimp C that what they accomplished as "real gangstas" holds no weight to the new generation of hiphop artists, nor do they owe you a g** damn thing.

First, lets start with Mr. Calvin Klein, the self proclaimed "Brooklyn Don," the man who claims he was worth over "24 million" dollars when he was sent to prison in 1991.  But even before we get into that, I can guarantee the majority of viewers who first heard the name Calvin Klein most likely thought of the clothing designer, and "why the hell is he on Shade 45 and why is he dissin' Jay-Z?"  Well this Calvin Klein is far from legit, as he was one of the few real "gangsters" in Brooklyn NY during the mid and late 80's, doing what the rest of the "real street" dudes were involved at that time, selling cocaine.  While Jay was focused on starting his career as a rapper, Calvin was the neighborhood drug dealer, and both shared a unique bond in the streets of Brooklyn, a bond which eventually landed both men in trouble for attempted murder charges in 1989.  Now it is unknown whether Jay ever really pulled a gun on someone with the intent to murder, but Calvin Klein was convicted of the charges, and was sent to prison for 13 years beginning in 1991.

Several days ago, Calvin Klein sat down with DJ Kay Slay on the Shade 45 network, and basically spit a whole bunch of nothing out of his mouth in a a lame attempt to air out Jay-Z.  In the app. 1 + hour interview, Calvin went on to say such things as:  "In the 80’s, Jay wasn’t trying to be a drug dealer he was tryna be a rapper but in order for him to transcend himself into this hell of a dude,  he had to take characters  from the 80’s like myself."  Calvin also added:  "Im a Brooklyn Don, my legacy speaks for itself.  Jay had to take parts of that in order to be who he is."  Calvin also went on to say:  "To me Jay's a white boy on the inside, no offense to any white boys but to me he’s a white boy on the inside."  *(Click here to listen to the Calvin Klein Interview with DJ Kay Slay)*

A white boy huh?  Mr. "Brooklyn Don" should take a hard look in the mirror and ask himself what did he do for Jay that would warrant Jay to help him out when he got out of prison?  Oh yea!! I forgot, he gave Jay cocaine to sell on the streets, how could I be so forgetful?!  Realistically speaking, what Calvin accomplished in the late 80's as a neighborhood drug dealer has nothing to do with Jay's success as an artist.  Jay didn't help you when you got out, so what?  After 13 years of being prison he honestly thought that everything would be taken care of as if he was Jay's brother or family member?

That's the problem with these 80's "OG's" that act like the world owes them something, when in actuality they are the ones in debt who owe their lives to the  communities, the families, the children, the lives of addicted crack addicts to which they catered to, thats who you owe.  Forget about Jay, a man who rode his talents as a rapper to stardom, forget about whether or not Jay should have done this or that, DO SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF (selling drugs doesn't qualify by the way).  You're not related to Jay, nor does he owe anyone a damn thing, and if he moves forward with his life without you, STFU and do the same.  Selling drugs and reliving your life as an 80's gangsta' holds no weight anymore, I'd much rather listen to a Jay-Z album packed full of lies than a 50 year old gangsta' talkin' bout how much coke he sold in the 80's, so get over it.

And of course, how could we forget about Pimp C's tirade on the South, a tirade which seemingly came out of nowhere seeing as the entire industry was yelling "Free Pimp C," on damn near ever record a few years ago.  In his interview with Atlanta's Power 107, (check it out on HHPulse Radio) it was apparent that here we have a man, a rapper who's had a somewhat successful career, but can't stand the fact that nobody's checkin' for him anymore.  Newsflash Pimp C, nobody's been checkin' for you since you went to prison, and thats the common factor between both him and Calvin Klein. 

In this world you can't count on anyone but yourself to be successful, and if you go to prison, the fact is that yes, you may become irrelevant to the times you come home to.  Does that mean you start dissin' everyone and every artist who's doing something for themselves?  Is this the way you get attention or plan to make a recovery from being in prison, because if you think that callin' people out and claiming this and that is going to get you any further than the space you're in now, forget it Mr. "Pocket Full of Stones."  And just for the sake of "keepin' it real," except for a select few such as myself who became fans after 1996's "Riding Dirty," the younger generation could care less who you are, to them you're just another disgruntled senior citizen upset at their decision to listen to a fake ass Young Jeezy rather than a real "OG" such as yourself.

We as hiphop listeners are always intrigued by the stories of these people, the so called "Brooklyn Dons," and the "OG's."  Instead of picking up "Gone With The Wind" at the local Blockbuster, we're constantly on the lookout for the newest documentaries on gangsters, mobsters, drug dealers, etc. because that's where the excitement is at.  We want to hear the stories of the streets because, irregardless of whether or not their actions were acceptable by society, their stories are certainly more exciting than anything in our own lives, and we accept that.  But there also comes a time when some of these people need to understand that when their times as legends and street superstars is over, its over.  The lives they lived and stories surrounding their lives may never be forgotten, but their time to shine has ended, and once your time to shine has ended, at that very moment, regardless of the fact whether you realize it or not, the world and its people owe you "nada."