There are fewer indicators that somebody means what they say than actually saying what they mean. This week Kanye West (KW) and DJ Khaled (DJK) have had a monologue with the world. Soliloquies that do not include the actual love they have a espoused for the past years. A message of love that was clearly a gimmick meant to pull in young audiences and brand them as cross-cultural creative ambassadors.

Now the cats out the bag. Puss is in boots and these boots were made for walking.

Despite what these men have said, the conversation is really about how egomaniacal and self-centered these husbands are towards their audience and, more directly, their wives. As single men, they took one approach towards their fans and brands. Now that they are married with progeny, these men feel that they have advice to share from their positions in society. But, just like Jay Z, grown men’s revelations are their own, some are just fortunate to make money putting their thoughts on wax. The difference is how the message is delivered and KW and DJK possess no finesse in their delivery. Ironically, this is about their inability to use their mouths for good.

These two points of contention need to be addressed: (1) can you base the evolution of your thoughts on evidence of new learning and (2) does anyone benefit from your ideas but yourself?

If your answers are NO then there’s a problem and it’s YOU. Learning is a life long process. If we stop reading and having dialogues we impede our personal and collective growth. Without dialogue we cannot change minds but dialogue requires all parties to listen to what the other has to say. Maybe it’s basic and altogether irrelevant but you have to hear it to know. Then you can begin to adjust and determine what is wisdom and what is utterly damaging self righteousness.

In the words of DJK, “Congratulations, you played yourself!” Karma is sure-fire and ever present. The need for attention and to maintain a masculine profile has brought to light how troubling the rationale of men can be. It is damaging to all parties. It damages our relationships and our communities. Let’s practice the ART of COMMUNICATION.