Hip hop has always been my guide, my teacher, my reality check, my affirmation… It has always been hip hop. There are many things in life that reach us and teach us and push us to a different level of understanding—of meaning of life. Hip hop has been that common place for me since I was a young child. The melodies, the rhythm, it always manages to reach me in a place where no one else could. Still today, as I get older, I find myself running to my headphones when I am having a bad day and just need my “me moment.” It is hip hop who reaches back through the headphones and says "don’t worry girl, it’ll be OK."

There are so many different lessons that I have learned through hip hop. Over the next few weeks we are going to explore different songs and different lessons that hip hop has taught me.

Starting this series off is none other than Mr. J. Cole with a song called "Love Yourz." If you have not heard the song, the video will be located at the end.

In this song, J. Cole talks about his life, comparing the times when he was broke (or did not have a lot of money) to now that he is becoming more and more successful and has a lot more money. Many people always think money is the absolute answer to everything in their life. Every problem they have can be solved if only they have money. That cannot be further from the truth. In this song, J. Cole breaks it down from the point of view from someone who had nothing to someone who has gained more. Repeatedly throughout the song he says, “I think being broke was better”—that line right there is enough to make you think twice.

Maybe money is not everything…maybe we should be thankful for that little job that’s just making ends meet because at least those ends are meeting. As J. Cole also says in this song, “compared to some {cats} down the block, man we were blessed.”

Sometimes we can get so caught up looking at what someone else has, we look past our own treasures and our own blessings. Instead of trying to keep up with the Jones’ maybe we should just be thankful for what we have in our own homes. Thankful that we even have a house, a bed, food, clothes, etc. You don’t have to be complacent, keep striving for more, but be thankful for what you do have. If you only work hard reaching for more and more and more, when will you stop to enjoy the more you have today that you didn’t have yesterday?

Hip hop life lessons from J. Cole’s "Love Yourz"…. Be grateful