"its a battle and I am my greatest opponent"--Badi

Here is some more Hip Hop from a Baha'i artist... Badi with his fabulous new album "Departure." The album is full of calls for social justice and global mindedness. Click over to the MySpace page and experience it.

This post is about the track entitled "I don't know." The Baha'i standard of chastity is high and it can be pretty difficult to maintain the standard as a Baha'i youth immersed in a highly sexualized society. One generally would not say that abstinence and chastity would make it on the list of what makes
a handsome dude cool. But just listen to Badi's track "I don't know" and you will see just how cool it can be.

In the song he reflects with us on how intricately the issue is related to responsible relationships, respect for women, respect for self. This is all achieved in a dialogue with himself in the face of peer pressure coming from a voice that is constantly chiming in to encourage him to make his move "You know she's feelin' you... You know she likes you..."

Here are a few of the lines I managed to jot down while listening to it. You need to listen yourself though. Please do forgive me for always being so demanding :) Well you are here reading and this is my soap box.

is this love is this love is this love that i am feeling
i am not quite sure so let me pull the reel in
i try to decide justly but don't trust me because I am not even sure
if i even trust myself
i don't want you to just be a picture on a shelf
before i know you i need to look into myself

i don't know i don't know man i don't know man
i am trying my best to act like a grown man

When they say why? tell them that its human nature
But sometimes nature can overtake you
it is hard to control it when i'm in the moment
it's a battle and i am my greatest opponent
Yeah i can see your interest in me
But i don't want to fall into false intimacy
like some type of consumer
lookin' for product
that is ripe for the pickin
a wife in the kitchen

sometimes i wonder if they even looking for love
i wonder if they even know what real love consists of
now i don't want to tell you how to run your business
we are one and the same there is no difference between us
but regardless of who it is
one things for sure...when i recognize godliness
thats when i will know

i don't know i don't know man

now maybe she's the one for me
maybe she could keep me company
she could be the one i care for
the one that i will always be there for
we could make a lifelong commitment
wait!
i don't know if i should do this when...

...