thelinkuptmbls - Tumblr blog

[thelinkuptmbls]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ep.# 15 Available Now! Link⬇️ (@__thelinkup)

Episode 15 Streaming Now Link in bio The Link Up Team 🖤 • • • 📸: @_thirtyfivemm || Edit: @_______mel || #thelinkupdotca #thelinkupteam #toronto #urbanpodcast #episodes #linkinbio #unapologetic #unimaginable #Toronto #Scarborough #red #black #thelinkupteam #thelinkupdotca #herbodyisart #podcastsofinstagram #letstalk #whypree #melaninnpoppin #applepodcasts #spotify #soundcloud #blackgirlmagic #blackqueen #blackboyjoy #blackculture #loveyourself #love #loveothers #dontquestionyourself (at Toronto, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz8JYMJlVTF/?igshid=1agcggcmeszq3

[thelinkuptmbls]

10-4, no switchin' sides

Feel somethin' wrong

You actin' shifty, you don't ride

With me no more, I need

Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty

•

•

•

|| #thelinkupdotca #thelinkupteam #toronto #urbanpodcast #episodes #linkinbio

#unapologetic #unimaginable #Toronto #Scarborough #red #black #thelinkupteam #thelinkupdotca #herbodyisart #podcastsofinstagram #letstalk #whypree #melaninnpoppin #applepodcasts #spotify #soundcloud #blackgirlmagic #blackqueen #blackboyjoy #blackculture #loveyourself #love #loveothers #dontquestionyourself

[thelinkuptmbls]

Episode 15 Streaming Now Link in bio The Link Up Team 🖤 • • • || #thelinkupdotca #thelinkupteam #toronto #urbanpodcast #episodes #linkinbio #unapologetic #unimaginable #Toronto #Scarborough #red #black #thelinkupteam #thelinkupdotca #herbodyisart #podcastsofinstagram #letstalk #whypree #melaninnpoppin #applepodcasts #spotify #soundcloud #blackgirlmagic #blackqueen #blackboyjoy #blackculture #loveyourself #love #loveothers #dontquestionyourself (at Toronto, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzf5mMMFLN5/?igshid=149nfavkjkdhj

[thelinkuptmbls]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ep.# 15 Available Now! Link⬇️ (@__thelinkup)

Episode 15 Streaming Now Link in bio The Link Up Team 🖤 • • • 📸: @_thirtyfivemm || #thelinkupdotca #thelinkupteam #toronto #urbanpodcast #episodes #linkinbio #unapologetic #unimaginable #Toronto #Scarborough #red #black #thelinkupteam #thelinkupdotca #herbodyisart #podcastsofinstagram #letstalk #whypree #melaninnpoppin #applepodcasts #spotify #soundcloud #blackgirlmagic #blackqueen #blackboyjoy #blackculture #loveyourself #love #loveothers #dontquestionyourself (at Toronto, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzdTx_tFk8n/?igshid=6heb39wevqpw

[thelinkuptmbls]

[thelinkuptmbls]

White people’s Precious and few gems in between. Tonight at 9.

Episode 15 streaming now!

The Link Up Team 🖤

•

•

•

#podcast #scarborough #toronto #jointheteam #yallready #urbanpodcast #blackgirlmagic #whypree #jointheconversation #talkditings #thelinkupteam #episode15

[thelinkuptmbls]

The Marathon Continues

Dearly beloved,

We are gathered here to get through this thing called life and if you’ve been paying attention in the last couple of weeks, you know this life can be downright tragic.

On March 31st, 2019, the world was shocked when rapper/entrepreneur Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed. I remember scrolling through Twitter and seeing a few random tweets mentioning his being shot but the majority of the TL (timeline) hadn’t reported the same so I chose to ignore it, hoping it was just a case of fake news.

Then the news broke: Nipsey was shot and in critical condition.

My TL was filled with prayers for his recovery, for his family, etc. All kinds of people were sending their regards and I remember thinking, “he’s gonna pull through, he’s gonna make it”.

Then the news broke, again: Nipsey was pronounced dead, succumbing to his wounds.

What? How? Is he really dead?

These questions swarmed my mind. Immediately, I thought of Lauren London, his girlfriend. How is she dealing with this? What are her and the children gonna do? It was hard to come to terms with this finality. Nip was gone. Even now, having watched his homegoing at the Staples Center in his hometown of Los Angeles, I still have trouble grappling with this truth.

However, in the days leading up to his final victory lap and the homegoing ceremony, I was consoled by a striking reality. Nipsey was no perfect being, this goes without saying, but Nipsey was able to accomplish in his short 33 years of life what so few are able to do in an entire lifetime.

There have been high profile celebrities that have passed and their deaths were deeply felt. Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Prince, and Aretha Franklin are a few examples. But in each case, these icons had accomplished amazing feats and had given us brilliance in the form of musical excellence for years. We’d witnessed their dominance, their star power, their talent. Even with all of the controversy that surrounded them, they were still held in high regard. And if you’re a 90’s baby like me, then you know that these names were staples in music. I believed there’d always be an MJ, a Whitney, a Prince, or an Aretha. Then they died and it was devastating. But we all felt a sense of peace knowing they had lived full lives doing what they loved most.

Then there’s Nipsey, taken in the prime of his life. His youngest is only a few years old, he’d just put out his first album, and he seemed to be more accepting of his celebrity and fame. Yet, when you hear the words of those who knew him, you realize that this was a man whose name belongs next to the likes of Michael, Whitney, Prince, and Aretha.

He was a humanitarian in the truest sense of the word. A man who pursued servicing others. It was mentioned during the tributes that Nip always believed in using your blessing to bless others. Once he saw a way to become successful, he used it to help others. He chose to stay in his neighbourhood. He wanted to uplift his peers in the Slauson and Crenshaw area. Though crime-ridden and gang influenced, Nipsey believed it would be worse to pack up and leave than to stay and build.

So he built.

He bought property, created programs, employed members of the community, and even sought to bridge a connection with the LAPD and the civilians of the neighbourhood.

Michael sang, “heal the world, make it a better place”, Nip was doing that. Whitney sang, “I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way”, Nip believed that and invested in them. He put his money where his mouth was and did the work. Even on the fateful day of his death, Nipsey had snuck out to gather some clothes for a friend who’d just been released from prison. He wanted to help him with his fresh start.

Though his death was senseless, I truly believe it was the spark to help us realign ourselves to a higher purpose. There is much to gain in this world, in fact, the entire world is up for grabs. But the holy script says, “what does it profit a man to gain the world and in the end lose his soul?” There is much to gain but so little that is meaningful. Nipsey was not major as far as pop culture goes but his impact was greater than most.

His legacy is not how rich he’d become, or how amazing his music was, but how well he served people. He chose to honour the humanity in each person, dignifying them by affirming their presence. No one was too low. This is how he will be remembered. This is his legacy.

So we say, ‘Long Live Nip’, a true king. May his memory never be forgotten. The marathon continues.

[thelinkuptmbls]

Belly turns 21 this year #ifeeloldAF #Belly #1998 #HypeWilliams #Keishawasthebaddest #throwbackthursday #tbt #thelinkupdotca #thelinkupteam (at Toronto, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu_wtAZglDB/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=9gpqsmq54qwc

[thelinkuptmbls]

Platonic

pla·ton·ic

/pləˈtänik/

adjective

(of love or friendship) intimate and affectionate but not sexual.

Who says men & women can’t just be friends? We couldn’t tell you the amount of times we’ve gotten those sideway looks, from whispering eyes, when we seem to be a “little-too-close” to an opposite sex friend. Whether at work, at school, or in our social circles, there has been a time when introducing someone as our “bestie” ends with us being grilled.

How long y’all know each other?

Your girl know you out here with her?

Your man know about your little friend?

After a while you start to think, “Do they have no faith in my relationship? Or do they just lack faith in their own?”

Why pree?

Join the conversation!

[thelinkuptmbls]

Your Ex Is No Threat To Your Next If Your Bond Is Secure - - Ep. 13 Available⬇️ @spotify @soundcloud @applepodcasts . Why pree? Join the conversation! . . . #weddinginvitestotheex #thankyounext #flextimetohave #shhhh #Toronto #Scarborough #blue #browning #thelinkupteam #thelinkupdotca #urbanpodcast #podcastsofinstagram #letstalk #whypree #melaninnpoppin #applepodcasts #spotify #soundcloud #blackgirlmagic #blackqueen #homeiswhereyouparkit #intlwomensday https://www.instagram.com/p/Buw3xICAHSA/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=tlueqekb1s9z

[thelinkuptmbls]

For our Valentines Day episode we took a little road trip. We sang our hearts out; harmonies on harmonies, adlibs on 100; it was high class negro karaoke at its finest. We got down to business and had a real talk about what we want to see more/less of in our relationships. Adrian really bares his soul on this one and tell men to either “beat your meat or read your bible” if they can’t control their urges. So, why pree? Join the conversation! Episode 13 is now live!

[thelinkuptmbls]

Save Yourself & Your Money

Hey I’m Brittany, a recurring guest of the podcast The Link Up, and I’m ready to blast off in your ear. So without further ado, this is Brittany’s Blast-off.

The latest episode released by The Link Up explores what it means to be a ‘ride or die’ and settles on generational wealth (legacy). On the surface, the two topics seem unrelated because one deals with extreme relationship goals (and expectations) while the other speaks to inheritance. But I don’t think the two are disparate, in fact, I think the two go hand-in-hand.

Let’s go back. Back to 2003. It’s a wild time. Pop punk is running amok in the streets. Triple-X sized t-shirts are selling faster than flip phones, and all the jeans are low rise and boot cut. Whew, chile. The TV is set to BET and a song by Missy Elliot or 50 Cent has just finished playing. Up next, the lovely sounds of Monica. The song starts and you’re immediately drawn in by the wonderful production of Jermaine Dupri & Brian Michael Cox. Monica hits us with the first verse reminding her forlorn lover that he never needed the material gifts to win her loyalty. She continues this right into the hook. “You should’ve known better than to think I would leave, you should’ve known better than to doubt me”, Monica informs. “It don’t matter if you’re up, matter if you’re down, either way I’m gonna be around. You should’ve known that I would stay by your side. You should’ve known your girl was gonna ride or die…”

By this point, Monica already won me. The beat was hitting. Her vocals were on point. I was getting my 13 year old life. Then she said the next line, “…and it just don’t matter if you’re rich or poor, out here doing five to ten…” Girl, what? Five to ten years in JAIL, jail? Federal prison? No, love. If your assumption was that I would ditch you as soon as the cell door clanked, you are absolutely correct. And besides, I looked up what crimes carry a 5-10 year sentence and all of them included use of a firearm with the exception of child pornography. It was at the tender age of 13 that I realized what the prerequisites for being a ride or die were and accepted that I could never be one. The dream was dead.

Now I want to be clear here:  I wasn’t saying that I could never be a faithful, loyal, loving companion. Rather, I strive to be all these things to a man who would prefer I walk and live in lieu of riding or dying. And to be completely honest, like the whole concept of, “ride or die”, doesn’t even sound appealing. You mean I gotta stick by you and ride through all of your bull shit or LOSE. MY. LIFE? How does that even begin to sound romantic? What could be strong enough to compel me to gamble my love life or even my very mortality for a broke nigga? And you know the nigga broke because well-paid niggas are never worried about a woman’s fidelity. (Even if she’s cheating, stay woke.) I saw all of this at 13 and knew that walking in my purpose did not include riding and dying.

That was 16 years ago, yet, here we are fresh into the newest year and being a ‘ride or die’ is still a thing. How? How are niggas still able to finesse y’all? How do you still allow niggas to continue with their petty initiations that test the level of your loyalty? In this economy?  There is literally no time to waste time. This has to die, once and for all! This is a scam, one of the biggest scams the Broke Nigga Community has ever conceived. Broke niggas worldwide have been able to convince women that it is some virtue or sign of nobility when a woman endures much from a man especially pauperism. It’s always the niggas with the least the demand the very most. Like condom-less sex, for instance. And then science happens and now there’s a baby. Oddly enough, the relationship doesn’t work out and because he was a member of the Broke Nigga Community, your child support payments have you in the grocery store asking the clerk to alert you when the bill gets to $25 and you haven’t even emptied the basket when you hear “um miss, your total is $26.38”. So now you’re pointing to various items on the conveyor belt, checking the price before ultimately telling the clerk to take it out. It’s all too much!

All jokes aside, the person who really gets hit the hardest is the baby. Eventually, things may get better but building means being without for a time which puts your child at a disadvantage. They’re limited in social mobility and opportunities. This isn’t just in the case of a single parent though. If the relationship is still going strong but he’s still broke, that’s a loss. The result remains the same – social disadvantage for the child. But I ain’t tryna run ya life. I just want us to really start prioritizing starting with ourselves. I want women to center themselves as the goal. That way duplicitous broke niggas won’t be able to cast their BNC wool so easily. Their con must be exposed. Ladies, start QUIZZING THEY ASSES! Do their motives create room for you to prosper? No. Then how can it be God’s plan? Just say no, beloved. Your legacy and your child’s future depend on this.

Women must remember that they always have options and if there aren’t any viable options available – wait. Do NOT settle. This includes niggas with potential. Them niggas is the worst! Potential can keep you blinded for years! Beware of those niggas, their niggatry is powerful. Keep those standards high, ladies! Keep doing the Lord’s work because you know until the day He comes, the Lord’s work is never over.

Episode 12 now live!

[thelinkuptmbls]

Have you finished Episode 11 yet? Why pree? Join the conversation! Link in bio #thelinkupteam #thelinkupdotca #convenientlynigga #thereslevelstothisshit #dutchspoonforthewin #urban #podcast #toronto #blackgirlmagic #blackboyjoy #melaninmagic #whypree #jointheconversation (at Toronto, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/Brk0Ybdg-GG/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=j9kx074gqy4g

[thelinkuptmbls]

We don’t always get it right

•

•

•

Episode 10 now streaming!

Why pree?

Join the conversation!

[thelinkuptmbls]

I came across this old DJ Vlad interview during my morning Tumblr scroll. As I watched Karrine talk about how she disrespects her lovers for Lil Wayne. Correction: Her Husband* for Lil Wayne! All I could think was, "Is the dick really that great?!" She claims to want nothing from him. She would fly herself out, just to make sure he wouldn't treat her like everyone else that he gave money to. She talks about how men justify putting up with her leaving in the middle of the night and being gone for days, by thinking they're on Wayne's level by having her. But I wonder, what makes a woman leave the warmth of her bed that she shares with her husband, to gallivant and have her pink fortress attacked by Lil Wayne?! Is it because I find him unattractive and wouldn't want my own love canal anywhere near those grills?! I tried to put someone more my type into the space. Michael B. Jordan... Bitch I'm flying like a thief in the night to MBJ! The fact that he loves white women will also take a back seat. My better judgement would be to the wind! Mod. Sick. My head would no longer be good. I started out this piece thinking I was gonna talk about how dickmatization is an unfortunate affliction that we need to overcome with self-love and shit, but I have to be honest about it; wave the right carrot in front of a donkey, and that ass starts working.

Okay, okay. Back to the task.

She's dickmatized. The standard woman putting all things in life, BEHIND the buddy that brings her pleasure. She reveres and praises this phallus like a God. Fully aware that all she is getting is a physical, temporary satisfaction, but at the end of the day, she rather that than nothing. But looking at Karrine's situation makes it seem a little farfetched. Because let's be honest, the type of dickmatization the regular woman goes through isn't from a rich celebrity that gives them a week long getaway in the Maldives. It's more like looking into the eyes of a man full of potential but has the drive of an 91 Carola; he might be going somewhere, but bitch, he definitely ain't getting there fast. He gives you the dick of your lifetime. Reaches the bottom and does that thing you like, that you're not really ready to admit you like, but if he does it first, SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT. You tell yourself and your loved ones that he is going to be something someday, and we all need someone to believe in us. You're his back bone. But who is your backbone, beloved?

Have you been dickmatized? Don't be shy, baby. It happens to the best of us. Jill Scott got got the other day.

How do you break the ties when dickmatized?

Are all women susceptible to the power of the penis?

If you're a man, have you dickmatized a women before?

Let's get the conversation going.

Jump in and share your perspectives.