I was driving a dear friend of mine who works at Maxim up to New York with me last year. It was early. I was a bit under-the-weather. Rather than start off my day at 7 a.m. with Billy Danze and Fame or whatever I’m expected to, I was rocking the NPR on the radio, trying to stay in tune with my world. When I switched over to HOT97 at the tunnels, she said, “You disappoint me. I expected Hip Hop the whole way.” Part of me was proud I defied an expectation; part of me wanted to say, “Hit a U-turn, Ma, I’m driving you back off, front of the club, ‘Jigga, what you do that for?’” Expectations are frustrating, no matter the kind.

Am I jaded? Am I, as Jean Grae rhymed on “Don’t Rush Me,” “a victim of choosing bad love, a bad luck Lucy?” Songs like Erykah and Common’s “Love of My Life,” Black Eyed Peas’ “Rap Song” and Tribe’s aforementioned “Bonita Applebum” seem wishful thinking, I’m more on my OutKast “Babylon” shit… “hoping, praying, wishing to keep my faith in you.” I hope there’s a woman out there, who is a rap song, regardless of whether she digs rap songs. My love of Hip Hop is its improvisation, its spontaneity, its conviction and timelessness. Hip Hop is the times we live in, and whether complacent or rebelling, its changing our minds and our attitudes. That’s what I want out of my partner. If she prefers “Mustang Sally” or “Lay Down Sally” over Stesa “Sally” or “Sally Got A One Track Mind,” who am I to care?

So in the meantime, I’ll be in the corner, keeping my culture and lifestyle in my back pocket, hollering at the girl drinking Blue Moon or margaritas, waiting for the deejay, waiting for her song to come on, and I’ll pretend I like it, and make moves – with visions of her CDs alongside my records; her classy footwear next to my Puma Clyde's on the floor. Moreover, on this Valentine’s Day that’ll likely end up with your boy ripping CDs onto his iTunes above any hosiery, I’m curious to hear your thoughts, your experiences, and if you agree or I need to “Wake Up!” like that Spike Lee Swatch watch I’ve been trying to cop on eBay.