Allow me to introduce myself...

What's good? I'm Paul Thompson, here to contribute to purelyhiphop. Here's a few things about myself:

25 Random thoughts
1. I write a lot. Mostly music, but my math notebook also has essays about stuff like welfare reform, affirmative action and stuff like that.

2. I don't do as well in school as I should. I don't think grades are an accurate indicator of intelligence.

3. I know this is wrong, but I resent people who I consider unintelligent but get good grades through superficial means. It's dilligence, but it still bugs me.

4. I think I have excellent social skills, and I can be a very social person. I deal well with different kinds of people.

5. That said, there are lots of times when being alone seems far better than being with anyone, even people I really enjoy.

6. I would describe myself as an idealistic cynic. Around some people I seem somewhat carefree, but if you know me better you know that injustices really bother me, and I think the world can be a better place. But, like I said, I can be very cynical as well.

7. Yes, I enjoy running. That's probably why I see a psychologist.

8. I really, really love hip hop. Most people wouldn't understand it, but it's more than just a music; it's a culture, and above all a state of mind. I think about, listen to, talk about and write music all the time.

9. When I say I love hip hop...if you complain about the rap you hear on the radio now, I'll be the first person to agree with you. I don't say that to be a pretentious elitist, I just think there needs to be more differentiation within the genre.

10. I love New York City. I would very much like to go to college there, but I can almost guarantee that at some point I'm going to live there.

11. It sounds cliche, but although I'm friends with a lot of people there are really only a few who know me well, and they know who they are.

12. I'm one of the most 'liberal' people you'll ever meet. The labels Americans use are sometimes misnomers, but I think that's pretty accurate.

13. I think patriotism is a farce. I'm all for unity with people and groups about which you care, but blind faith in one's government for the simple fact that it's their place of birth is ignorant, and often dangerous.

14. I love The Office. Lots of my favorite movies are comedies. I love really cryptic, complicated, intellectual art, but I think sometimes humor can be the most intelligent form of expression.

15. On that note, I honestly think South Park has been the most honest form of societal commentary in the last decade.

16. The internet is the worst thing to ever happen to the music industry, but the best thing to ever happen to music.

17. I'm better friends now with a few people who graduated than I was with them while they were in high school. That's pretty cool.

18. I'm an atheist. That term has a ridiculously negative connotation in America, and honestly speaking I find that amusing. Most of my friends are theists, so I don't want to get into my reasoning so as not to offend anyone, but I study religion when I can. I find it fascinating.

19. I find it extremely offensive when it's suggested that one can't be moral without being religious. I care deeply about people around the world. I volunteer, I give money to homeless people, and I know I could never kill someone. I find it ironic that the "Christian right" opposes me on so many of those points.

20. I find it ridiculous when people label themselves as "pro-life," because those same people generally support hunting and war, and oppose healthcare and social welfare. You aren't "pro-life," you just don't like abortion.

21. I internalize everything, but I'm getting better at it. Since I was diagnosed with depression, I channel my thoughts better, probably because I'm more conscious of them.

22. Lots of things affect me every day, usually indirectly. For example, the whole situation in eastern Africa will consume me some days. And it's not the same way it consumes armchair activists with blogspot addresses; it's a general feeling of helplessness. Yes, it's fun haha.

23. I don't trust people. I know how cliche that sounds, but it's true. I don't open up to many people, and it doesn't always work when I do.

24. I'm a hopeless perfectionist at times. Tim can tell you that; I'll write stuff that's really good up to a certain point, and if I mess up one line I start over instead of fixing it.

25. The reason I like to talk so much is because internal dialogues make me anxious. I hate the idea of holding thoughts in my head with no notion as to its validity. That's not to say I'm influenced by how other people react to what I think; I just need to say things for myself to hear them.

My ten favourite rappers at the moment
Lupe Fiasco
Nas
Joe Budden
One Be Lo
Slug
Masai
Black Thought
Kanye West
Jay-Z
Blu