There will be no free downloads of this album from my site, however I will let it be known that the album is on the money. Many rumors have been circling around the internet and the blogs that Usher was about to drop a dud.

Well if you’re a 5 year old and can not appreciate a man’s growth through his music then you will probably not like this. But if you are ready for a sincere to R&B, I mean that real rhythm and blues then I suggest you go out and purchase Usher’s new album when it drops on Tuesday, May 27th.

From the beginning to the end of the album Usher will bring you on a roller coaster journey of a man and his emotions battling love and facing his fears head on. “Moving Mountains” finds Usher more than comfortable while divulging his feelings about a love going down the wrong path. Those who have been there can relate to the metaphor with ease and are fighting for Ush to move the mountain, climbing and hoping for things to change. What can you do?

“Prayer for you” is just an interlude but you can see the growth in my man Usher singing a prayer for his little man. I remember back when Usher was a young dude singing “just call me a mack” and now he is showing the true evolution going from the ladies man to now becoming a family man.

A sure hit for the radio “Best Thing” finds Young Hov and Usher riding the beat getting the ladies ready for a hot summer!

“Appetite” will be a favorite of all these gossip sites looking to throw some salt or hate into dude’s new marriage. He’s hitting the fellas with a message though telling us not to feed our appetites or we’ll be trying to get into the crib but the key won’t fit no more.

All the Ladies looking to find that special dude will hope that when the time comes that he serenades them with the words to “Before I Met You”! A beautiful dedication to the special one in your life, like I said Usher is definitely showing growth on this one, not the same player from Confessions!

Everyone is going to attempt to compare this album to Usher’s last but that will be their first mistake. You can not compare the two; Usher released Confessions at 25 fresh out of break up. He is now 29 and a happily married man with a child, in those four years there has obviously been a lot of growth and it shows on Here I Am. Quality Product, I’ll be buying the retail copy as soon as it drops on the 27th!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tZAFCX2Rlk&hl=en]

1. Intro
2. Love In This Club featuring Young Jeezy
3. This Ain’t Sex
4. Trading Places
5. Moving Mountains
6. What’s Your Name featuring will.i.am
7. Prayer For You Interlude
8. Something Special
9. Love You Gently
10. Best Thing featuring Jay Z
11. Before I Met You
12. His Mistakes
13. Appetite
14. What’s A Man To Do
15. Lifetime
16. Love In This Club Part II featuring Beyoncé & Lil Wayne
17. Here I Stand
18. Will Work For Love

DISCLAIMER: This is a very emotional piece that I wrote several years ago. As for an update, my biological father is now helping me create an avenue for men in prison to reach out to the outside world and share their brilliance. Inside the Wall will become a part of this blog very soon. I hope you appreciate the piece, many had responded while it was on myspace so I felt the need to share the contents with you. Happy Birthday George!

Letter to my unborn Father

Possibly the most personal statement I have ever made to date.

A child was born around 3:41am on the Sabbath Day, always knew the boy would be special because he was born on the Lord’s Day. Like a thief in the night his biological father took off running immediately. Not for good, only for two weeks but those 2 weeks of him missing in action foreshadowed what was to come.

A child is a child, I don’t remember much before the age of four except for maybe one memory at the age of three. Where the child’s mother was cooking, his grandmother and sister were there and a familiar man was at the door. Still that same father only this time he’s not running, for women are strong and when men ain’t shit they tell them to keep going.

Like I said women are strong, so strong it’s frightening if you’re not a strong man. So after a so-called father disrespects the very woman who bore his child with deception, lust, more kids, yes I said more kids; not by her of course, a strong woman leaves. Leaves to find her happiness, which she knows, does not exist within a man who could be so selfish and cruel.

So he writes a letter and the contents of it I will share with you:

Dear Dad,
When I was young I called you daddy to signify the difference between you and my real father. It was a symbol of our love, our relationship, and our connection. A connection I have come to the conclusion we never had. Growing up I knew plenty of kids whose parents weren’t in their life. Being born in the 80’s some parents fled to CRACK, some fell ill with a sickness they first thought was syphilis but today has become a Pandemic known as AIDS.

But many of us young black boys lost our fathers to the system better known as maximum correctional facilities. Sorry, you’re no political prisoner like Mumia, or Assata, NO quite frankly you broke the law and have been caged like an animal ever since.

At an early age I can remember knowing what the term pathological liar meant. My mother didn’t sugar coat things nor did she make them uglier than what they seemed to be. She raised me with my eyes wide open rather than shut so that I could see the wolves in sheep’s clothing. Pretenders, those who said they were with you but really were more out for themselves. Something all these years later I recognize is possible within any relationship, even ours.

In high school I was angry at the lack of a father role that you played. In college I had sympathy for you because I knew how they must have been treating you in those concentration camps, on the outside we are caged mentally but you were physically, mentally at times it seemed even spiritually caged. The trips up north were oh so hard, painful to see the one who is supposed to be your “supreme” in a state that is so desperate. It is unimaginable that this would be a man’s fate, HELL not a man like you, not a man whose mouth is slicker than Stacey Adams shoes. A man whose walk is reminiscent of Malcolm when he was strutting in Boston in them zoot suits. No not you! You, an alleged father, the maker of children who span this earth some aimlessly because of your lack of parenting skills.

I’ve tried to write this letter many times, please don’t mistake my tone for anger, God knows all we need is another angry black man mad at his deadbeat daddy. No my tone is more of disappointment, disappointed at how men can escape their duties. Not mad at you because we made peace four years ago in January of 2002 at that table in that penitentiary where I visited because I thought that if you died I would be somewhat responsible.

My mothers fine, strong as I wrote before, strong enough to take her children find a true man and raise them to be RESPONSIBLE. STRONG enough to go on with her life and find happiness, that’s all the little lady ever talks about, is being truly happy, I’m sure she is. My brothers are growing, their big now, intelligent young fellas, my sisters a nurse she’s doing well for herself. My father, well he’s doing well too you should see us in action. We play chess, laugh about old beatings I got from acting out. He’s a good dude, and I’m thankful I had a father. See a lot of kids cant say that I am just very happy that I can. See I realized that connection I thought we had is false. Years in the pen won’t change you, I won’t change you, she don’t love you so that won’t change you. Players who keep playing get played, they play themselves out, it becomes tired and hopefully they recognize the error in their ways. If not they are relegated to a lifetime of unhappiness, must be that Green Mile they talk about. I say letter to my unborn Father because after 22 years I realized I don’t know you and quite frankly have no desire to.

February 19, 2008

There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 NLT

This is a familiar message that we often hear but I often struggle with. There is a season for love, a season for pain, season for growth, it’s said that things happen in seasons, for reasons and some things last for a lifetime. None of us are mad when it is a joyous season, when the reason was a good one, and a lifetime of happiness would be something to marvel at, wouldn’t it. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case because there are other times when we will be confused and weak and ask God why did he bear such a burden on us. They say God will not put a larger burden on you than you can bear but when you are going through the valley before you reach that mountaintop, that burden can feel like a lifetime of bricks and adversity.

Like I said I have issues with the seasons at times; my mother says it’s because today we don’t have patience, and we want answers to questions immediately. I will give her that, but even more of a lesson is to look right within the word and find stories of the people of God and the tribulations that they dealt with. In the end they were victorious, blessed with more than they ever imagined because they remained faithful. So no matter what your season is right now, good or bad, lets remain faithful so that we can reap the blessings the Lord has for us! Peace and Grace be unto you!

– No sin in looking prosperous just your way of showing your faith in the Lord, showing him you’re ready whenever he is!