In this day and age, with the advent of the internet, and other technological advances, the distance between artists and their fans is very small. So it is not incomprehensible that admirers would consider those they admire like family, or personal friends. So for the Booncommunity to witness an obvious schism between Aaron and Rhome, both heroes to those who love the Boondocks, it goes without saying that the loss of the website and your apparent close friendship hurts. Like discord in a previously happy family(see the book We WERE the Mulvaneys....). Boonfans are like children whose parents divorced a year ago; sure, what happens in the marriage between two people really is only the business of those two people, BUT, others affected by the divorce naturally wonder what the hell happened to break up their happy home. I am a relatively new Boonfan(I came on in 2000), and I have posted on the site, and posted ABOUT the site here, looking for answers. I don't need gossip. I just wanted to know what happened, because a lot of important and compelling information was being disseminated via the site, even beyond the strip itself. It is dismaying to see Brothahs feuding. Even the thing posted at okayplayer about Kweli and some underground DJ I never even HEARD of was another, "WTF! Why can't Brothahs just work shit out and GET ALONG!!!!" moment for me, but I, as Tavis would say, digress.... I'm from MD too, and Blackfolk need all the comraderie we can muster up in THAT neck of the woods. When you both are sixty years old, who is gonna give a fuck about Aaron's success, both of your egos, or WHATEVER the hell was the problem? All that will be remembered is the loss of what seemed to be a pretty good friendship from WAAAAY back. Shouldn't that count for SOMETHING? And as someone produced out of the Afro-American studies program at MD, can it be THAT hard for you, Aaron, to fathom, that as members of your community, we would care about your friendship with Rhome? Forgive us if it came off as nosiness. I'm not sure that people purposely gave out incorrect information. I think Brothahs from the Hood or what-have-you might be expected to generate discord amongst themselves, or at least that is what psychologists who study "urban behavior" tell us. But you, and I guess Rhome too, are like, the creme-de-la-creme of what our community has to offer. So it hurts to see that y'all educated brethren can't get along too. Particularly around something as ground-breaking and revolutionary as the Boondocks. I mean, it's a shame. I don't think that any of us who really love the Boondocks and admire the work you and Rhome put into the strip and website respectively REALLY want to see you all have a "pissing contest" with each other, nor with anyone else on this site. We just recognize the synergy which created a home for conscious folk in hip hop on the Net, AND in the newspaper, between two terps. that could NOT be denied. HOW and WHETHER you and Rhome ever work out your differences SHOULD be between the two of you, but I for one would be happy to know that it happened at least, even if you two never work together again a day in your lives. Friendship is the most sacred human relationship one could ever have outside of that one has with one's parents and grandparents. It should be honored. Hopefully, time will allow both of you to acknowledge that, and you will be able to unite as Brothahs again.

peace.





"Don't Hate the PLAYA Boy...hate the GAME," Granddad Freeman of the Boondocks(7-11-99)

*Twenty-three percent of women are "autoerotic singles" — they prefer to achieve sexual satisfaction alone(source-bet.com)