Category Archives: Fathers

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Le’Andria Johnson Debuts New Album “Bigger Than Me” in Atlanta! (VIDEOS+PHOTOS)

Photo Credit: James Pray for RCA Inspiration

Hello World,

My favorite “bad girl” of gospel Le’Andria Johnson is back with her new album “Bigger Than Me,” which is available where you buy music as of TODAY! On behalf of RCA Inspiration, she debuted singles from her album in the packed out The Gathering Spot in downtown Atlanta last night, and I was blessed to be able to hear her new music in person. Another gospel great Marvin Sapp said something on his “Unsung” episode on Sunday that I’ve been thinking about since then. He said he is not sure if he wants any more hit songs because they were birthed out of painful experiences. Well, Le’Andria may have at least one hit on her hands because her song “All I Got” is dedicated to her brother Gregory A. Johnson Jr. , who passed away last November. In addition to singing “All I Got,” she also showed the video for the single. Check out the video of her singing a bit of “All I Got.”

Below are a few pics I took as the video was screened for the audience…

That is a picture of Le’Andria and her brother. Apparently, the video, which was directed by Derek Blanks,  was filmed on his birthday….

Saanging’…

Sometimes you have to sing in the rain…

The last shot was beautiful…

To her surprise,  Le’Andria’s father Bishop Gregory A. Johnson Sr. was in the house. I’m sure it was an emotional night for both of them, but she had everybody laughing when she said she wouldn’t have worn her short shorts if she had known her father was going to be there. I can relate! (And I still I want to know why I’m the only PK I know who can’t sing especially when my father can 🙁  )

Another song she sang “Gone Too Long” is about when you’ve been gone too long from the presence of the Father. Every once in a while, I get rebellious with God and walk away but thankfully, I haven’t got gone that long. And I’m diligently praying for those in my life who have been “gone too long” from God. She sang this song beautifully, but when she invited Zebulon Ellis and her brother Michael to sing the song with her, babaaay…Take a listen for yoself…

And of course, the title cut from “Bigger Than Me.” See below….

Le’andria’s producers Chuck Harmony and Claude Kelly of Weirdo Workshop were introduced as well. They have worked with Bruno Mars, Rihanna, Ludacris, Ledisi and legends such as Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. Claude told the audience as they are usually “locked in a studio,” they never get the opportunity to see how audiences respond to an artist in person. He also said that when Le’andria came to their location in Nashville, she had to walk by plaques commemorating all of the artists they have worked with in their career. When she walked by Whitney Houston’s plaque, she told them that was what she wanted. “It wasn’t about her fame though. It was about the effect that a positive female voice can have on generation.”

Chuck and Claude with Gabby Jones of RCA Inspiration….Photo Credit: James Pray for RCA Inspiration

Here is Le’Andria with her father and brothers…Their genes are strong! Photo Credit: James Pray for RCA Inspiration

And for my OWN “Greenleaf” watchers, Le’Andria is on Volume 2 of the “Greenleaf” soundtrack!!! Photo Credit: James Pray for RCA Inspiration

Judging by how folk responded to her performance last night, Le’andria  new album “Bigger Than Me” is fire! Get that!

Any thoughts?

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Should Rapper 2 Chainz’s ‘Pink Trap House’ Be Used for a Church?

Hello World,

Here in the A for the past couple of weeks, folks have been flocking to rapper 2 Chainz’s Pink Trap House to take pictures in front of the hood anomaly. For those of you who have been privileged enough to not know what a trap house is,  a trap house is a “term used to define a crack house, or the surroundings in which a drug dealer or(trap star) would use to make their profit,” according to urbandictionary.com. In an effort to promote his latest album, “Pretty Girls Like Trap Music,” which debuted last month, 2 Chainz had a house in the A painted pink with the word “TRAP” painted on the front of it. Reportedly, the inside of the house is an art gallery. Since then, folks from all over have positioned themselves to take fun pictures in front of the 2 Chainz’s shrewd publicity tool and posted them on Instagram.

Below are just a sampling of these photos from ThePinkTraphouse Instagram page.

@abbeymace #pinkhouse #prettygirlsliketrapmusic #atlanta #pinktraphouse #2chainz

A post shared by 2 Chainz Pink Trap House (@thepinktraphouse) on

@Itslaroneppl #2chainz #pinktraphouse #atlanta #prettygirlsliketrapmusic #pinkhouse

A post shared by 2 Chainz Pink Trap House (@thepinktraphouse) on

@tylerthecrayon #prettygirlsliketrapmusic #prettygirlsliketrapmusic #recent4recent #recent4recent #spamforspam

A post shared by 2 Chainz Pink Trap House (@thepinktraphouse) on

@Itslaroneppl #2chainz #pinktraphouse #atlanta #prettygirlsliketrapmusic #pinkhouse

A post shared by 2 Chainz Pink Trap House (@thepinktraphouse) on

I admit I want to go to the Pink Trap House and take a cool picture. And although a trap house has a negative connotation, some have found positive uses for the Pink Trap House including a church.

As you can see, I guess service was held this past Sunday. And yesterday, a free HIV testing was offered was at the Pink Trap House…

But Greenforest Community Baptist Church Youth Pastor Al Hollie Jr . says he hates the Pink Trap House (although he doesn’t disrespect 2 Chainz) which he talked about on his Facebook page on Sunday and since then has been reported by Fox 5.  Below is his original video, which has been shared at least 400 times. He told the news station that his father regularly visited trap houses where he used drugs and is still a substance abuser today. Hollie noted the generations of families can be affected by what happens in a trap house and said that the people who have been taking pictures in front of the Pink Trap House couldn’t have experienced what he experienced as a child nor grew up near a trap house.

My husband and I discussed this over the weekend, and I can see his point. He doesn’t think it’s cool to take a picture in front of the Pink Trap House either. What do you think?

And do you think despite the negative connotation of a real trap house that 2 Chainz’s publicity tool can be used for positivity?

Any thoughts?

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After Years-Long Battle to Parent, Atlanta Father Wins Custody of His Son! (A Father’s Day Post)

Hello World,

Happy Father’s Day to all of the fabulous fathers out there with a special shout-out to my father-in-law and my father Dr. Denzil D. Holness, a man who is a father and a friend! Although my father is my favorite father, I want to highlight another father today. When I saw Vincent McCant’s essay about his struggle to parent his son Jack on his Facebook page earlier this week, I knew I had to share with all of you who read this blog! With his permission, check out Vincent’s essay below…

Essay: Black Fathers, Fight for Your Right to Parent…

Very few people outside of my family and close friends know that I was embroiled in two custody battles recently, spanning a total of four plus years.

I have a 12-year-old son, who I care greatly for. He is my world and my only child.

I met his mom in the summer of 2003 at a summer concert. His mom is a creole girl from Louisiana, very attractive and the ex-girlfriend of former-heavyweight champ, Mike Tyson.

Things escalated very fast during our brief relationship and soon I was having my first child, a son. The minute I found out we were having a son, the relationship ended for a variety of reasons. Because we were not married, I chose to have a paternity test done, then I hired a lawyer. The next step was legitimizing my son through a formal custody order, with child support included.

Having a son at the age of 33 forced me to become more responsible, because at that point in my life I was living only for me. I spent wildly, partied all the time and, quite frankly, was a player.

Having a child got me back in school, more serious about life and wanting to live a different lifestyle. I was traveling back and forth overseas quite a bit on business for the first two to three years of my son’s life, only seeing him once a month. While living in Beijing, China, I decided enough was enough and left a very lucrative career with a high six-figure salary to be home more with my son. It was a tough decision, but it was necessary.

I completed my master’s degree with honors in the summer of 2006, with a focus on supply chain management and immediately began consulting for major companies like Home Depot, Coca-Cola, NCR and others. I had been an IT leader for years, who directed major software implementations involving ERP and procurement.

Fast forward to 2007, I was now a full-blown, hands-on father, spending as much time as I could with my son. He reshaped my life and gave me a new purpose and meaning. I became a better person overall because of him.

As a more responsible father, I became increasingly uneasy about his environment, his school and most of all, his performance in school. Despite living almost an hour away from him, I was very involved with his school, teachers and the PTA. Based on things I was observing and conversations that were going nowhere with his mom, I felt compelled to seek full custody.

At church one Sunday in May of 2007, I met the woman who would become my future wife in her role as an usher. Over the course of two years, we would often speak at church. My wife developed a deep bond with my son early on, a relationship that has now spanned eight years.

Fast forward to 2010, I started dating my future wife and she immediately became embroiled in the first of two custody battles with me. I would lose the first custody trial, despite being prepared and having a strong case. It was a huge blow to me and my family, but I learned a lot from that trial and decided I would change my strategy and keep fighting for my son.

My son was suffering in school, despite making the honor roll each quarter, as his test scores did not match his grades. He lacked help with his homework, his grammar suffered, his vocabulary was limited and his test scores continued to plummet through out the year.

Read the remainder of Vincent’s essay at: nbcnews.com.

Again, Happy Father’s Day! Enjoy your special day fathers!

Any thoughts?