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His raspy voice first boomed through my headphones on the Wake Up Show anthem back in 1994, changing my life forever. I remember sitting up in bed when he began spitting his intricate rhymes, wondering who the hell he was and how I could hear more. At the time, I was shy and quiet, and spent most of my time trying to make sense of my parents’ tenuous relationship, which wobbled on the precipice of divorce. Just when I needed it most, the kid who’d dubbed himself "the corrupt novelist Nas" invaded my ears, giving me something else to obsess over than the demise of my family. After his Wake Up Show salvo, I found my way to Illmatic, Nas’ seminal first album that inspired me to be a writer. I would listen to that tape—yes, tape—for hours on end as Nas rapped about the horrors and joy of Queensbridge, dodging overzealous cops, and mourning slain friends. Though he was talking about a hood 3,000 miles away from my own, I found solace in the stories he weaved, and eventually picked up my own pen to begin telling my own. I would not be a writer if it weren’t for Nas. In 2016, I was able to tell him just how much his music, his words, meant to me growing up. Thankfully, he was warm and gracious and humble, all things you want your faves to be when you finally meet them. I walked away feeling blessed to be in his presence, and relieved he wasn’t an asshole like so many other celebrities who have been hailed as geniuses. And then, things changed. In April, Kelis detailed years of physical and emotional violence she said she suffered at the hands of her ex-husband, Nas. "It was really dark," Kelis said of their relationship. "A lot of drinking. A lot of mental and physical abuse and it got to the point where if I wasn’t pregnant, I might have stayed with him. I really did love him. We were married—we weren’t dating, we were married, this was my person." Nas was also my person. He was the rapper I would refer to when defending the genre against critics who said rap was merely a place for men to be materialistic and misogynistic. And though he’s had his fair share of problematic songs ("Owe Me," "Oochie Wally," and "Black Girl Lost" come to mind), most would agree Nas tries to "say something" in his music, whether it’s about investing in Black businesses, inspiring the next generation, or being a good dad. Being physically abusive just didn’t seem to be in line with the man I’d grown to love through his music. Then again, domestic violence rarely takes place out in the open. And when women have accused rappers like Fabolous, the Notorious B.I.G., and Big Pun of abuse in the past, they’ve been largely ignored, or worse, ostracized. So while I was devastated to hear of the violent relationship between Nas and Kelis, given some rappers’ history of abuse, I wasn’t surprised. I also wasn’t willing to push the accusations aside to enjoy his music.  Thursday, Nas dropped his 11th studio album, Nasir, and I haven’t even listened to it yet. Normally, I would’ve tuned into his listening party and streamed the album back-to-back as soon as I could, but between Kelis’ allegations and Kanye West’s involvement in the project, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Many people, however, could. Nasir trended on Twitter Thursday night, with scores of fans hailing it as a return to form for the Queensbridge legend. Aside from a few scattered tweets from Black women like Professor Blair Kelley, who admitted, "Kelis' statement about abuse in her relationship and Kanye being Kanye have really messed up my ability to just listen to Nasir and just not think about what I know," most have seemed to be able to either separate Kelis’ abuse allegations from Nas’ artistry, or ignore them altogether. Over on Forbes, writer Bryan Rolli, wondered, "Why hasn't Nas been forced to reckon with abuse allegations ahead of 'Nasir' release?" In his article, he grappled with the outrage over Kanye West’s support of Donald Trump versus Kelis’ abuse claims against Nas. "Nas’ new project has generated excitement through a scarcity of details. And just as West’s two new releases, ye and Kids See Ghosts, followed the rapper’s controversial, scorched-earth media blitz, Nas’ album arrives amidst controversy in the form of assault allegations from his ex-wife, Kelis," Rolli wrote. "The difference is, while fans and critics still want to crucify West for his asinine public behavior, they haven’t bothered to hold Nas accountable for the allegations levied against him." One reason very few people have threatened to "cancel" Nas (as they did with West) may be because women are often seen as disposable and untrustworthy. That’s true of the wider culture, but it’s especially true in hip-hop music, where "I don’t love them hoes" has been the mantra for the better part of 20 years. Another reason people haven’t demanded Nas answer to Kelis’ claims is our resistance to holding our faves accountable when they’ve done things we typically find reprehensible. It happened in the wake of Bill Cosby’s rape allegations and conviction, and it’s currently happening for many who still listen to R. Kelly’s music in spite of two decades worth of sexual misconduct accusations. For me, the issue remains complicated. While I’ve cut Kelly out of my musical rotation forever, I still sometimes watch reruns of The Cosby Show, and when I’m feeling down and need a little pick-me-up, I still throw on Nas’ "The World Is Yours." And when it comes to Nasir, I can’t promise that I’ll never listen to the album. In fact, I’m pretty certain I will hear it one day. But as a fan of the man and his music, Nas’ silence on Kelis’ allegations speak louder than any song in his classic catalogue. 

Father’s Day is a wonderful time to celebrate the dads of the world, but it’s also a good time to talk about men who are trying to become dads. Some men have fertility issues making it difficult for them and their partner to get pregnant; in fact, male infertility accounts for an estimated 40% of fertility problems in couples who have difficulty conceiving.

When it comes to a man’s fertility, a number of common factors can be at play, says UCLA urologist Dr. Jesse Mills. Here’s what dads-to-be—and their partners—need to know.

Basic Lifestyle Changes are Fundamental

“Eat, move, sleep.” That’s a mantra that Mills, who serves as the director at The Men’s Clinic at UCLA, recites to all his patients.

Taking care of diet, exercise, and sleep is a vital part of a man’s overall health and, in turn, reproductive health.

• Diet. Focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, high protein foods, and foods rich in polyunsaturated fats (like tree nuts, almonds, and walnuts).
• Exercise. Men should break a sweat for 30 minutes or more each day. “Exercising just once or twice a week is not enough,” Mills says. “Anything that improves blood flow, heart rate, and metabolism is probably going to translate to better sperm production.”
• Sleep. Try to get more than six hours of sleep per night. “When men sleep, they recharge their pituitary gland, and the pituitary gland controls sperm production by the testicles,” Mills says. “If you’re consistently not getting enough sleep, there’s a good chance the hormones that control sperm production are lagging.”

Overweight or obese men have a higher incidence of fertility issues. One potential reason is that larger thighs can cause the testicles to be at a higher temperature, affecting sperm health. Obesity also causes decreased testosterone.

In any event, diet, exercise, and sleep all help to stabilize weight—and improve a man’s health overall.

Stress and Fertility

“I can’t tell you how many men I see in my clinic that are not only stressed professionally but have the added stressor that comes with trying to get pregnant,” says Mills. “Just that stress of making a baby is enough to send couples fighting and not being able to accomplish their fertility goals, and that doesn’t do anyone any good.”

If stress is an issue, it’s important to do what you can to reduce it. Again, exercise helps, says Mills, as does sufficient sleep.

 Potential Medical Problem?

There are certain red flags that could indicate a potential medical problem affecting a man’s fertility. Mills says men should look out for the following issues and let a physician know if they’re experiencing any of them:

• Pain during ejaculation. Men should not be experiencing pain during ejaculation. It could indicate an infection or a blockage such as an ejaculatory duct stone, a calcification similar to a kidney stone but located somewhere along the reproductive tract.
• Low ejaculate volume or irregular ejaculate color. Normal ejaculate volume should be about half a teaspoon to a teaspoon. Ejaculate should ideally be a pearly white color.
• Abnormal testicle size or feel. A healthy man’s testicles should feel firm and should be close to the size of an apricot. Softness or squishiness usually indicates a problem with sperm production, as 80% of the size of the testis is devoted to sperm production.

If any of the above medical issues pertain to you, or if you and your partner have been trying to conceive for six months without a pregnancy, a visit to a men’s health specialist is a good idea. Physicians are able to perform a number of tests to determine the root of fertility issues, and there are a number of surgical and medical options to repair such issues and help couples reach their fertility goals.

The post Nurse Alice: Health Considerations for Those Trying to Be Dad appeared first on Black Enterprise.

You have an incentive to check out a few matches thanks to the eye candy that will be on the field.

BBC America has announced that the show Doctor Who will make an appearance in Hall H for Comic Con International: San Diego (SDCC)! In years past the panel usually takes place on Sunday, the last day of the convention. However, specific days and time of panels, and signings will be revealed in the weeks to come as we get closer to the con. Comedian Chris Hardwick (Talking Dead, Talking with Chris Hardwick), a major fan of the show and a staple of SDCC, will be moderating the panel.

Scheduled to appear is the latest regenerated Doctor herself, Jodie Witaker, along with co-stars, Tosin Cole and Mandip Hill, who will be playing characters Ryan and Yasmin respectively.  New showrunner Chris Chibnall (Broadchurch) and executive producer Matt Strevens (An Adventure In Space And Time) rounds out the rest of the people teasing fans of the new season, which premieres in the fall.

As first timers of the con, I am sure that fans that manage to get into Hall H will give the newest cast much love. Are you excited about the new season? How cool is it that we finally have a female doctor? Sound off below in the comments!

The post Doctor Who is coming to San Diego Comic Con! appeared first on The Nerd Element.