The ipoet is not dead. A week’s sabbatical. I’m sorry. I should have been more clear about the plans. Posting tonight.

My choices seem to be either the Republican 2012 presidential pool or Weinergate. Neither one is doing it for me. I owe the world some rap news. We’ll see what I can muster.

Concerning the cartoonish cultural notions of masculinity.

At deep discounts, the record and other swag can be preordered here. Be swift. 6.21.11.

@sintax_ds5 and @ipoetlaureate. Please follow.

Apologies to all. I know that in my absence, world events have been hidden in a shroud of blackness beyond your ability to learn about them. Between work and little league playoffs and car shopping and combing my hair and publicity for my upcoming album, I’ve just been stretched pretty thin. We had a photo shoot Monday on secret location. And, in anticipation of a limited edition package, which will be available for the new record, I have been speed reading 23 copies of Watership Down, Gary Gnu-style.

I will post at least one song this week. It may be Thursday night. I was working on a song called, “Raising the Roof,” regarding the debt ceiling. It was so-so and I put it down last night. I may try and finish it up. That’s the challenge of these quick news vignettes put to song. Sometimes the idea just doesn’t work the way you intended. But, it’s too late to do anything about it because people the world over need their rap news. My cross.

2 long personal days in a row. Hopefully I will post tonight. Thanks to all for your dedication to following the site.

Prince With A Thousand Enemies. That is all.

Obviously a hugely important day. I’m traveling. Tried to write the song as I drove, scanning the radio stations coming in and out for information about it. Didn’t get in until midnight and just couldn’t finish. I am working to get the song right. I’ll get it up as soon as I can.

Man, I put out an APB on beats, and people came through.

Props to Juicebox Johnson, Jordan Santana, DJ Elder, DJ Clutch,  and Fab da Eclectic for contributions.  Look for their work in the weeks and months to come.  This site persists for your generosity.

Rap news, ninjas.  Spread the word dangit.

Family self portrait in the back.  Might have a surprise on Monday.  Might not.

Okay, my homeboy paradox, in begging me to rap about the homeless man with the “golden voice,” — recently discovered, offered a job with the Cavs, and then sent to rehab — gave me a great idea.  For this week’s Thursday song, I’m going to take requests.  So hit me @ipoetlaureate on Twitter or at my Facebook page and let me know what current event, news story, sporting outcome, celebrity debacle, or Act of God you want me to cover.

Here are the rules:

* the topic/event has to have occurred within the last 7 days

* cannot have been a topic/event already covered by this site in a song

* must be submitted by 10:00 am Eastern Standard Time, Wednesday, January 19, 2011

* everything else goes

I’m not sure how I’m going to select the winners.  My original idea was to choose my five favorites, drop them in a flat-bill New Era, and pull one out.  I also may just do one colossal mashup.  We’ll see.  The point is we’re in this together!  How often do you get to request a song about something and have it written?  Never, right?

I guess the polite gesture would be to honor paradox’s contribution by simply covering his topic.  But that would not drive as much traffic to my Twitter and Facebook accounts as I’m banking this contest will and paradox would lose time (black out) if I did anything nice for him.  I have a rep to maintain.

I like the idea so much that we’ll do it periodically.  I love rapping about the news.  Thus, this site.  But to rap about the news/events that people want to hear seems even more satisfying.  You guys also might totally screw this up and have me rapping about Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s new baby.  No pressure.  Just the weight of the future of rap news everywhere is in your hands.  Get to poking and tweeting.

Something about that last line was off.

New shoes on MLK, courtesy of the local Plato’s Closet.