Does CHOICE exist? Do we always have a choice?

I'm 30 years old & I've just had my first major epiphany in life. Truly a sudden, intuitive perception: a clear insight into the reality of business survival.

Its a quiet Sunday afternoon, I realize- I'm now alone in the office, the rest of the YMBK team has left, probably off to watch the Roger Federer:Novak Djokovic final. Bob Marley's Legend is no longer looping, its just me and the silence. I find a Heineken in the office fridge, search my playlist for Sean Paul's Imperial Blazin, slide back into my chair and I'm now back behind my desk. I take a refreshing sip and focus back on my current problem.


The YMBK Team.

PROBLEM: trying to figure out how we can streamline our current UK/Europe distribution process.

How can we balance our business efficiencies' and still guarantee customer satisfaction (particularly from a speed pespective)?

The epiphany is that THE UNIVERSE IS NON-LINEAR, everything is connected, everything is important. IT IS... IT ALWAYS WAS.

The point is:

"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men, Gang aft agley."

Although nothing is certain in life, uncertainty is guaranteed. No matter how much we plan, one can never plan for everything. There are always challenges for us to OVERCOME. 'Of Mice and Men' is a novella written by Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck, published in 1937, definitely worth a read.

My realization was that, in all honesty, you are what you repeatedly do. Experience is correct because it suggests that no problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking. Problems will always come up, but we have to figure out a way to solve them. Thus, if we know that problems are going to arise and we know that with enough thought- problems can be solved, then FAILURE IS NEVER AN OPTION: there is no choice, we have to OVERCOME.

I get onto skype, start making some calls. I figure most of my people in Europe are probably watching the Liverpool soccer match, but I do manage to reach a few extroverts, get a few leads and I am now fully re-committed to finding the best fit, in terms of YMBK distribution points. UK/Europe is a viable market and its important, it fosters the international growth of the YMBK brand.

Business partnerships can be a major competitive advantage. Even though it takes time to build trusted business partnerships (aligning purpose, business plans & financials), they can be value adding. I am learning that managing a business is philosophically provocative, the existing social order can be a swindle, the cliche's, of glitter versus gold and sizzle versus steak come to mind.

I'm off to watch Johnny "Drama" Chase and the Entourage boys, but I can not help but smile. I am proud. I stared into the abyss. It stared back. We will OVERCOME. ALUTA CONTINUA

Onwards. Upwards. Always.

Farai

ps: ALUTA CONTINUA is a PAN-AFRICAN phrase which was used in the nineteen sixties by revolutionary thinkers such as JOMO KENYATA of the MAU MAU and NELSON MANDELA of the A.N.C. in South Africa. It means “the struggle continues”.

It is staggeringly important that we encourage more critical thinking within our generation.

Whilst at a recent basketball pick –up game, I observed a testosterone charged discussion on sporting injuries escalate into a passionate social commentary on Universal Health Care.

I will not make the colossal misjudgment of weighing in on this political quagmire, but I do have to tip my hat off to those genuinely interested and invested in their future. The arguments were eloquently articulated, there was depth in the reasoning and a visible will to fight the shattering wave of pessimism predicted in our future.

I admit that most of my ideals were boyishly formed but like most of you, I have made a conscious decision to succeed and have since grown to be smitten by life. On this quiet summer night of possibility, I am buoyantly optimistic because I witnessed a diverse sample of our youth show some critical thinking. I absorbed the discussion.

To reiterate, this blog post has little to do with the decisions the ‘powers that be’ must make, but rather how (as it appears to me) our generation is taking ownership of our own lives and is purposefully treading water, in this here river of life. Even in these challenging times, there is a strong yearning for a beautiful future. We seem to have accepted the need to consciously look at problems and ponder on practical solutions.

Critical thinking is imperative. It fosters an understanding and awareness of real issues. The consistent research and analysis of relevant current issues is a skill of paramount importance because it is the foundation of modern socio-economic wisdom. Wisdom is an element of wealth. Wealth is the goal.

Onwards.Upwards.Always.
Farai

Trendz Clothing by Trendz

Trendz Clothing: The purpose of my line is to be different from the other lines juss to bring something new to the table, as far as the history, the line is about 3 1/2 yrs old, my goal is to make the clothing line known to the world... I want any and everyone to be in something Trendz Clothing the objective is to stay exclusive, in the next 18 months I would like to have more clients, my own office and to be able to take more trips that are related to business...


Trendz (Trendz Clothing), Hustoun Alexander (UFC Fighter)& Farai (YMBK)


2). Ummm I won't give out too much about me yet, just know that I'm grinding hardbody right now. I'm doin orders everyday... When the line final takes off you will know everything brotha...lol... My links are myspace.com/trendz305 and Trendz on FaceBook.


Trendz and Farai got to hang out at the NAS/Marely concert in Omaha, July 2009- I apologise for the poor picture resolution.

3).The last concert I attended was Damien Marley / Nas, the last CD that I actually bought was Cam’ron’s Crime Pays an that album is meannnnnnnnnn... My favorite TV was an still is 'Goodtimes' an I'm not into the movies or the new music because its all bullshit right now... Lol...

Trendz at the LOOM Lounge, for the YMBK video shoot, July 2009.

4).YAMBUKA= OVERCOME :The obstacle that I battle with is DISCIPLINE! To add Trendz on MySpace (hundreds of pictures available) go to www.myspace.com/trendz305



YMBK salutes TRENDZ Clothing, best of luck my brother.
Championing purpose, hard work and social growth. Building community wealth.

I've been thinking about the AUTHENTICITY of character: walking the talk.

In creating the YMBK brand I have always had a vague sense that the fate of my brand would inherently lie in the authenticity of my character. In this early part of the YAMBUKA journey, I have had to interact with many people regarding all aspects of my business model. Some interactions have been life enriching some have been limiting.

The challenge of measuring the authenticity of character is in understanding ones true motives in everything one does. Can we consistently behave in a manner inconsistent with who we truly are? Will the truth always set you free? How profitable is romantic idealism in modern business, particularly in a global recession?

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

I have been trying to become an advocate for social resposibility by becoming more involved in charity initiatives and community events. Through my partnership with The LOOM, I have an opportunity to be "hands-on" with the NEXT-AID project. NextAid is a nonprofit organization committed to developing and implementing innovative sustainable solutions to the challenges facing African children.

http://www.nextaid.org/aboutnextaid.htm

Social responsibility is an ethical or ideological theory that an entity whether it is a government, corporation, organization or individual has a responsibility to society, particularly a responsibility to act (proactive stance).

I had an important discussion with one of the LOOM Co-captains', who rightly, asked me my true motives with YAMBUKA and my efforts for social responsibility. This set me off on this train of thought.

The Truth Shall Set you Free: Initially my motives were a fatal blend of narcissism (my EGO telling me I am now self actualized and that this is what self actualized people do), shrewd MBA philosophies (image is everything, appear to care) and a misguided understanding of life.

I have since arrived at the realisation, that 'purpose' is not a goal, it is something we discover, a way of life, it is that understanding of the defining thread that sums up our personal contribution to the universe.

WHY I AM GOING TO BE SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE
I hail from a very humble background but I feel very blessed to have gone through the experinces I have been through, I feel blessed to know the people I know and to have met the people I have met.
*I do have an hour every week I can use to mentor someone else
*I do have some change I can spare
*I do have a story I can share with someone in need
*I do have an opinion on relevant issues, that should be heard
*Where I cannot help, I do have someone I could recommend who could help.

Giving back is a win-win. Authenticity of character is an element of TRUE WEALTH. Walk the talk, earn the trust, understand your true motives - understand the world. YAMBUKA through Next-AID will commit to help where we can.

Read more about Next AID, make donations on http://www.nextaid.org/index.htm

Onwards. Upwards. Always.
Farai

Does competition define you?

Is it fair on Kobe to compare him to Jordan?

Would Nasir be Nas without Either? Was Nas 'Nas" after Either.

Does Serena need Venus to be considered the best of all time?

Is it just an issue of perception exceeding expectation or pure genius/talent prevailing? According to Wikipedia, “Competition is a combat between individuals, groups, nations, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or allocation of resources. It arises whenever two or more parties strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment.

By whose standard is someone successful?

If you overcome your own obstacles but it’s still sub-par to the alpha male/gal in your realm, does it count for anything? Can we be content with exceeding our own expectations even if someone else has overcome greater obstacles? The universe is infinite but there is a limit to potential, is this fair. Who will take time to read your life story if there is no genuine adversity in it?


Can we compare Tiger to Federer, oranges to bananas? If so what are the rules to excellence?

One always hears of an ‘old guard’ being likened and faired up against a younger talent: Ali versus Tyson,JFK versus Barack, or Bruce Lee versus Jet Li.
Over mythologized achievements do not benefit the end consumer because perfect competition adds value to genuine fans. I watched the 2009 ESPN ESPY’s a few weeks back, they are annoying because they belittle the unique talents required for every discipline in sport by comparing apples to watermelons and lions to sharks.

Is entrepreneurship a function of competition? If an entrepreneur is a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, particularly a viable business, with limited resources, considerable initiative and risk, then an entrepreneur’s success hinges on his own merit.

Do what you do, chase your own dreams. Being content is the goal. Do the best that you can and achieve the goals that you set. Attempt to beat yourself, push yourself to do better, regardless of what others are doing. Its only when u sprint your hardest that you are content with your ranking.

Focusing on your competitor only fosters a dependency fueled by acknowledgment. Do what you do, chase your own dreams.

Onwards. Upwards. Always.
Farai

DJ Brent Crampton

YAMBUKA salutes Brent Crampton, http://brentcrampton.typepad.com/

Championing purpose, hard work and social growth. Building community wealth.


LOOM founders/Co-Captains Jay “rhythSOULdier” Kline & DJ Brent Crampton (in a custom made Kiros on Black Yambuka t-shirt), July 31st 2009, LJAC.


Hello fam, my name is Brent Crampton. I'm an artist based in Omaha, contributing and interacting with its hidden Bohemia. I'm a DJ, journalist, graphic designer, events promoter and experiential lover of life. I realized my life gifts are: mixing life, bringing people together, having them connect through music and then release in dance. Yambuka has been gracious enough to give me an opportunity to talk a bit about how I manifest those things in my life.

1) Project name, purpose, history, goals & objectives, 18 month vision.

First off, one of the biggest things in my life is a party I do called "loom." The next event is taking place this Thursday, August 6 at España Tapas Bar in Benson. We're doing a Jamaican tribute since the date falls on Jamaica's independence day. Check out the flyer below and a link to the Facebook event page to RSVP.

http://brentcrampton.typepad.com/loom44WEB.jpg
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=101740433718

And here's the background story on loom . . .

loom - Weaving the Social Fabric Through Dance is a social ideology conceptualized by Jay Kline and Brent Crampto with the idea of creating various social and artistic platforms to promote social integration.

Since March of 2006, loom has manifested as a monthly dance event at España Tapas Restaurant in downtown Benson. Blacks, Whites, Latinos, Asians, young, old, gay and straight have gathered in a peaceful assembly to connect and dance with groups of people they'd normally never encounter in a city that is notorious for its problem of racism.

On the community outreach level, loom's partnered with LA-based nonprofit, NextAid.org which finds sustainable and green ways to help children in Africa who are orphaned by AIDS. Event theme's have jumped continents and timelines, celebrating diversity across the board, including the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., Brazil's Carnival festival, Nigeria's Fela Kuti or dance arts from Salsa, Rueda, Bellydancing and Breakdancing.

loom has hosted a series one-off events at places such as The Bemis Center, Heartland of America Park, Hot Shops Art Gallery, Love's Jazz & Art Center, The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge and more. Apart from dance celebrations, loom's involvement has covered everything from fashion, film, green living and race relation dialogues.


LOOM team members Jay, Kirstin, Logan & Farai, July 31st 2009, LJAC.



2) Bio, pic’s, videos, links (myspace, twitter etc) , url to website , redirect websites etc

Hello fam, my name is Brent Crampton. I'm an artist based in Omaha, contributing and interacting with its hidden Bohemia. I'm a DJ, journalist, graphic designer, events promoter and experiential lover of life. I realized my life gifts are: mixing life, bringing people together, having them connect through music and then release in dance. I do that as a DJ. Here's info on that . . .

Multi-award winning DJ, including Best DJ in 2006, 2007 & 2008 for the Omaha Entertainment & Arts Awards, named Scion Breakthru Emerging Artist in 2006, titled a “Deep House Pioneer” by The Reader and recognized as a NextAid.org artist, Brent Crampton has been pushing the boundaries of music and culture throughout the Midwest.

His sound centers around the Deep House and Global Soul movement, yet defies genres, dropping anything from underground disco, credible & conscious hip hop, party rocking classics and world flavors such as afrobeat, batucada and afro-cuban drum sections. Most importantly, his music has a message: Bringing people together – connecting through music – releasing in dance.

He began his love affair of DJing in the fall of 2000 and has since held residencies or played at all of the top nightlife spots in the Omaha area. His monthly event, "loom - Weaving the Social Fabric Through Dance" founded in 2006 has established itself as "the longest running dance party" in Omaha, according to the City Weekly. Guests such as Kevin Yost, jojoflores, Sabo, FLX, Sabine, Raven Fox, Joe DiPadova and Julius The Madthinker alongside Crampton have brought a soulful dance party to a middle-tier Midwestern city that previously had none.

In addition to his Turntable Tutorial DJ class, the art-music fusion shows - ColorSound and Art Reach, holding the Mr. X spot for the Red Bull Music Academy and being the NextAid.org Omaha rep, his promotions and DJing falls within philanthropy, touches on social progression, education, art and elevating culture.

His impression has been made throughout North America and beyond, having performed in places such as London, Chicago, Miami, Montreal, Las Vegas, Boston, Dallas, Hawaii. He's promoted shows or played alongside talent such as King Britt, The Rapture DJs (The Rapture), Alton Miller, Colette (OM), Sierra Leones Refugee Allstars, Woody McBride, Josh One and Tim Sweeney (DFA). In all, his driving ambitions have made him one of the most sought after and active DJs in the area. “There is a healing power in music - and I want to get that out to the people.”

You can connect to me through my blog at http://www.brentcrampton.com, check out photos from my parties at http://www.flickr.com/photos/mixinglife, check out videos of places I've been and DJed at http://www.youtube.com/brentcrampton, or connect on social networks such as, http://facebook.com/mixinglife, http://myspace.com/brent_crampton, http://twitter.com/brentcrampton.

3) ABOUT You- last concert attended, last CD purchased, favorite TV show as a child, most anticipated 2010 event/CD/movie.

Last concert I went to was Gogol Bordello - a crazy, high intensity gypsy punk band that had the place rocking. Last CD I purchased? Well, it's the digital age, so I don't really buy CDs anymore, but local MC, Buck Bowen gave me all of his back catalogue on CD, so I've been checking that out lately. As a child, and still probably today, my favorite show was The Simpsons.


LJAC dance party, July 2009.

4) Yambuka theme: Life (and Business) is tough: summarize an incident(s) you had to OVERCOME a challenge or an obstacle.
One challenge that was really tough for me was worrying about the hate language people use against you as an artist. When I'd hear things about so-and-so talking sh**, it used to really bother me. Naturally, within human nature, whenever someone puts themselves out in the world with art, music, business, politics, etc, people are naturally going to make a judgement. Depending on the scope of influence your product or talent exerts, the more extreme people's opinions can be of you. I call it the Mountain Theory. No one minds much the guy selling papaya down the street from his cart. But compare that to Whole Foods. Some folks absolutely love the place. Some think they've unjustly cornered the market, are unfair with their prices, etc.

The problem arises when you try to fulfill the impossible goal of trying to please everyone. That's an illusion that's unattainable, but I believe somewhere along our maturation we're taught to pursue this. In actuality, all we need to do is examine ourselves. If we're doing the right thing, then proceed with your art/business/whatever and let the haters hate. And if their hate speech is legit, listen to it, because it may make your game even better.



YAMBUKA salutes Brent Crampton, http://brentcrampton.typepad.com/

Championing purpose, hard work and social growth. Building community wealth.

Entrepreneurship is the state, quality or condition of being a organizer or promoter and coordinator of business ventures.

In designing optimal entrepreneurial incentives, our generation faces a simple tradeoff:
‘Purple Haze’ or ‘Get rich or die trying’, or for those trend conscious out there- GS boyz or OutKast. Not as a slight to any rappers, but when all relevant actions can be measured without much noise (big pun intended i.e. in the absence of huge multitask problems), the attitude we have towards the bigger picture is what we have to consider: is vision, now, too much to ask for?

Instead of falling in love with the idea of being seen as a certain persona, the hard work and sacrifice associated with actually being that persona is bemusingly overlooked. Instead of success being a bi-product of time and sweat, our generation celebrates instant stardom.

Business terms and titles are interesting to me. Real estate agents ‘in the know’, will testify that a for-sale house described as simply ‘fantastic!’ is not a good deal for the consumer, however the simplicity in characteristics described as ‘oak-wood’ or ‘granite’ mean it’s a steal. 'Cozy'is a lie, its small, great neighborhood means the house itself cannot stand on its own merit. The self acclaimed titles we give ourselves are mere facades. Real work speaks for itself, even when entrepreneurship is trumped by entertainment. It was widely agreed Zel got the Oscar for a lifetime of quality work (not necessarily for 2001’s Training Day) which causes an itch- was the Foxx (2004 Ray) that much better than Don Cheadle in Hotel Rwanda- they both played two real life figures?

The central premise of this post is to evaluate why some people prosper from entrepreneurship whilst others do not. How others build wealth and others chase the ‘purple haze’. Is it any wonder that after meeting inevitable challenges, Cam’ron (who released the album Purple Haze in 2004) is no longer amongst the elite within his realm. Curtis (however we may feel about his product now) has milked the industry and is in Jay’z & Diddy’s league financially whilst having 10 years less of mainstream productivity.

Forbes recently posted a list of the 2009 Top 20 Richest Rappers, topping the list is Jay-Z, who earned a respectable $35 million over the last year. The number still pales in comparison to the $82 million he made the year before. Meanwhile, last year's #1 50 Cent dropped to number 4, earning $20 million. He earned a staggering $150 million the year before.

Entrepreneurship is the state, quality or condition of being a planner, organizer or promoter and coordinator of business ventures.

Whilst at the YAMBUKA launch party, several months ago, I was approached by 2 gentlemen, both easily over six foot tall, sports jackets, jeans, jewelry & expensive looking 'gators'.

Shoulder tap, whisper...request for a quick meeting, I downed my cognac & put my game face on. Outside, in front of the Nomad Lounge in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, we bumped fists, exchanged pleasantaries and made quick, awkward introductions. "Wil & Dee" they said. Dee spoke eloquently and with purpose.

"We heard about your YAMBUKA initiative and felt it was imperative we meet."
I looked down to the business card Dee had handed me, intrigued by this normal sized business card with just the simple name Dee & a local phone number in bold black lettering on a glossy white card.

Nervously i asked, "..what do you do ?"

With a right tilt to the head and an overly serious look, Dee responded, " Everything, I do everything... I am an entrepreneur!"

The ten seconds of silence that followed seemed to last a full minute. I nodded slowly in understanding, they stared purposefully. Wil finally spoke and said , "..there is nothing we dont do, we are businessmen."

I fiddled with my thumb ring for a few more moments but no other elaboration was offered. Not a smile, not a grin, not a shift. I was hesitant to meet the two brothers for lunch when they called me the following day, but punctually made it to the rib BBQ shack in an interesting part of the low income neighbourhood where, curiously,they seemed very familiar with. The meal was hearty. Their proposition was simple.

I will not presume to judge my brethren, nor express an overdeveloped or undeserved sense of entitlement. I politley declined their investment offer and explained why I would not be seeking business partners in management areas they were eager to control.

The lesson I learnt from this interaction (and from various versions of the same, from a diverse group of people, from all walks of life) was PRICELESS. Impactful. If I was overly dramatic, I'd call it life changing. Although we differed on moral, ethical and legal perceptions and interpretations, I understood.... choice. Entrepreneurship (and the dire need for it) is choice. Now, whether its the life they chose, or if its the life that chose them, I say.... to each their own, and thats for them to live.

It is imperative to take value away from each interaction: their attitude towards their success was undeniable. The silence, audible between the prolonged pauses, their sales pitch was cryptic but effective, they knew their financial goals and they had already made life choices that would always ensure spinners on their Escalade. They were decorated soldiers, in the war for wealth, fighting for entrepreneurship, ownership, equity. Wil & Dee communicated to me, within minutes, the need to take on a life or death attitude/approach towards entrepreneurship. Not the disingenuous modern capitalistic entrepreneur with frat boy lingo pseudo business skills, a quasi life understanding or the ego driven, celebrity seeking but overly mediocre wanna-be. The real entrepreneur.

REAL entrepreneurship: WEALTH- Dont talk the talk, walk the walk.

Through out my 8 years of higher learning, at no point had I appreciated fully, the full gravity of the need for us (as a generation) to succeed.

My intent , with this BLOG, is to share my expreinces, my lusty affair with entrepreneurship. Allow me to effectively communicate the elements of the YAMBUKA movement, the development of the YMBK BRAND and hence MY purpose.

MY BLOG will analyse, cover , highlight and discuss all relevant issues of launching an international t-shirt Brand, entrepreneurship:including financial motivations, geo-political challenges, socio-economic obsticles,cultural opportunities, by dissecting our growth as a generation, our infactuation with music, this neo-creative (or otherwise)fashion sense, our appreciation (or disregard) for value adding relationships, the role of sports (YAY South Africa 2010 world Cup) and entertainment on this optimistic ( or pesimistic depending on how many drinks you have had today) journey called life.

I will consistently post several interviews and facilitate numerous profiles of different entrepreneural efforts, musicians, poets, artist, professionals, radio & t.v personalities, social workers, DJ's, business men & women, from all continents, all races, ages, lifestyles and backgrounds.

The unifying theme will be to OVERCOME (YAMBUKA) challenges, highlighting our interviewee's personal triumphs. I will not only define the truisim of entrepreneurship but shout out the dire NEED (as a generation) for individual and communal wealth. The posts will discuss a wide range of topics including the transition from scientific knowledge to specific knowledge, pop-culture, current news, political sores, the friction between growth and obligations, hope and realisim.

Entrepreneurship:what role does RACE play, LOCATION, personal QUALITIES (which competencies and skills) and RELATIONSHIPS, play. I will consistently post pictures/photos, music and videos of relevent issues and hopefully fully maintain a value adding BLOG.

I am blessed with this opportunity to mash my imperial roots, murky incentitves, my impuned sense of self and my hope to build a community of geniuine soldiers ,driven (As my Man Bob Marley would say)"...to forward this generation triumphantly."

Onwards.Upwards. Always.

Farai