Dear Dr. Dre,

As a fan of your music and business ethics, I’m sorry to say you’ve officially lost your rabbit ass mind. Almost 3 stacks for a laptop and at least $300 for your headphones? Really?

I understand that there are people in the industry who use the headphones, and your name is a brand in itself, so your products are expected to be a little pricey…but this is ridiculous.

What about your die hard fans; who can identify with NWA lyrics, or songs from The Chronic; that can’t afford a way out of their own neighborhood, much less something to listen to your music from? What about that little boy/girl who, dispite the musical influences around him/her today, wants to be the next Dre? How do they feel when they see that their favorite person in the entire world is trying to rape their pockets for their lunch money?

Did you at least take one tip from Stephon Marbury?

As an engineer, I can honestly say that Beats by Dre headphones are no better than any Sennheisers, Bose or Sonys I’ve worked with. Sennheisers have the same design on most of their headphone models, and their prices start at 70 bucks. Bose still reigns supreme in the audio industry, as does Sony. Your name should not give you reason to jack your prices up $100+. And very rarely do I hear someone mention your headphones for the actual performance, but comment on the looks instead.

I had been keeping this in for a long time now, but I heard news about your new laptop and went berserk. An HP laptop with the sound designed by people who work on your music, which is cool…but let’s face it, poor quality mp3s are what give laptops crappy sound. And how much of “your” sound can we really get out of laptop speakers?!

Dre, you’re slapping all your fans in the face for this one. The people who buy your albums legally, supported your tours and concerts when you were active in the industry. They’re pissed.

Stop being a dick and consider the fans.

Still Bumping The Chronic,
Ziggy The Chief

An Explanation.

I realized my followers and the ones I follow deserve one.

Just because I haven't been posting frequently here, doesn't mean I haven't been posting at all.
I have another blog; no, not because one provider is better, but because I was looking for a different avenue to blog about my music, reviews, etc. I've found a nice little niche in the blogosphere, and it's here.

ZtotheIG.tumblr.com

Now, I've posted about BlackMuzik on this blog before, but my Tumblr blog will host nothing but BlackMuzik updates, new music, news about us and my opinions on the art today, of course. Please feel free to check it out, and follow if you're a fellow Tumblr.

Hell, follow if you're not a fellow Tumblr. Some of yall mofos have Google Reader, I know it!

Guess Who's Back....Back Again...

Yeah...I've been absent from the blogosphere for juuuust a second. To be blunt, the real world is an awesome place. An awesome busy place in my case, for I've been running around like a chicken with no head for the past few weeks. ULTRA busy. Performances. Work. Performances, right after work. Meetings. More performances. Back to work. Etc; get the point? The only way to have an idea of what I'm doing is Twitter, and I only have time for that because I use that straight from my phone. Blog posts take too much thought for me to go mobile. And who knew I could drive out of state so many times in less than a month?! Whew!

Nevertheless, I'm back. Hopefully, I'll have some picture updates for you guys, and info about exactly what the hell I've been doing. A BlackMuzik update/post is in the works, and also a main reason behind my accidental hiatus.

I've been grinding, guys. Cut me a little slack, please?

(deuces.)

Gosh Darn Right, I'm Feelin' Myself.

Well, we're feeling ourselves.

If you listen to the music on this very blog, you're awesome beyond most awesome. If not, I suggest you get to a PC and turn the speakers uppppppppp!!!!!!

A big 'thank you' to the readers who have commented or sent me e-mails about my music. It's all deeply appreciated!

I said it before, and it won't kill me or you if I mention it again...in my playlist, all tracks that are a creation of BlackMuzik is marked with an *.

I suggest you take a listen to the first song on the playlist. I think it's jammin'.

I've finally decided to start talking a little more about my joint venture with my fam. I was apprehensive at first; I'd like this blog to maintain a non-commercial feel, but I also realize that the internet is a very powerful tool...and there are a lot of people reaping the benefits of wackness whilst I sit back in amazement at the newest dance craze via Youtube (wtF is a Ricky Bobby?!). I'm also no fool, I know networking is a small piece in the puzzle to my success. So, why not use it and try my chances just as others have? Right, Susan Boyle? I won't bombard you with polls, try to sell you "I Heart BlackMuzik" t-shirts or remind you that a mixtape is dropping. But; there will be member introductions, and I will inform you on the music we're making, the moves we're going to make, and our overall progress as a company.

Curious or not, this post is the intro to the series of posts that will be about BlackMuzik--who we are, what we do and our plans of world domination.

Stay tuned.

(deuces.)

Why June 2, 2009 Will Be One Of The Best Days Of My Life

One name:

DILLA.

Ma Dukes and Pete Rock have teamed up decided to release a project of unreleased beats and samples by the one and only J Dilla. Titled Jay Stay Paid (J$P), this album will feature music from Dilla's old DATs and floppy disks, as well as a few tracks laid down while he was in the hospital.

I read about this online and was uber psyched. As a huge Dilla fan, any word on an album is good news in my book. But this had to be what sealed the deal for me:

The format of the album plays like a radio show with Pete Rock acting as a radio DJ. While largely instrumental, J$P also features guest vocals from artists Black Thought of The Roots, MF DOOM, and M.O.P. All are artists that Dilla worked with or admired.

Black Thought?! Doom?!? Anddddd M.O.P.?!?!?! Pete Rock acting as radio DJ?! Nerdgasm. Nerdgasm!
The album drops June 2nd via Nature Sounds. I will have it in my collection as early as June 2nd. Oh yes!

(deuces.)

Just Another Manic Monday...

...and I really do wish it was Sunday.

Sitting at work right now, people watching and trying to keep my eyes open. Daylight Savings Time kicked my butt, and the small bout of insomnia I battled over the weekend didn't help either; too many consecutive 4AM (or later) bedtimes really does make you delirious. I have Halo 3, my best friend and Scuba's Super Nintendo to blame. Damn you all!

Anyways, I was checking my e-mail a little earlier, and I got a message from someone who may be an anon reader/follower. She digs the blog, and she wants to know what music I have playing on my page. Now, I never really thought the music was a big deal; I'm a person who prefers to listen to music whilst I surf the 'net so I figured that there are bunches of other people who do the same. I decided to add a playlist to just give you guys a sample of the music I'm into.

Since I got an e-mail about my choosings of tuneage, here's a list of the list--artist name and track title, no links included. I'll add more from time to time, so the list may get longer.

FYI: The starting track, "Breakin' My Heart", was created by myself and my brother. If you remember, I touched briefly on my own musical endeavors. So yes, that's us that you hear when you first visit my blog. I've decided to always have a BlackMuzik track start the playlist, and although I don't list the artists on the playlist, any music by BlackMuzik will be marked with an asterisk. By the way, there's heavy linkage in this paragraph because I want you all to ADD US AND LISTEN TO THE MUSIC! :) Please and thank you.

Let the tuneage begin...

-BlackMuzik-Breakin' My Heart

-Radiohead-15 Step

-Raheem Devaughn ft. Ludacris-Bulletproof

-Neyo-Future in You

-B.O.B.-Lonely People

-A Tribe Called Quest-Sucka Nigga

-Nirvana-Milk It

-System of A Down-Atwa

-The Roots-I Can't Help It

-Raphael Saadiq-OPH

-Radiohead-In Limbo

-Lupe Fiasco-Sunshin

-Gnarls Barkley-Surprise

-Brandy-Drum Life

-B-Real ft. Damian Marley-Fire

-N.E.R.D.-Lazer Gun

-N.E.R.D.-Anti Matter

That's it. That's the playlist, in order of appearance. I'll add more pretty soon, so there may be an update. Listen out for some Mamas and Papas, some Pink Floyd, Nina Simone...it's gonna get pretty eclectic.

(deuces.)

A Music Lover MUST Have

This is probably my favorite Marvin Gaye album. Released in 1978, Here, My Dear is noted as being autobiographical, chronicling Gaye's first marriage with Anna Gordy. The story is that the title of the album was for Gordy; receiving royalties from this album was part of the divorce settlement, as well as a portion of Marvin's advance for his next album. Ouch.

If you've never heard this album before, you're sleeping. Honestly.

Anger - Marvin Gaye

One of my favorite tracks on the album. Enjoy!

(deuces.)

Letting You In.

When I sat down to blog, the first thing I was thinking of typing was another rendition of that Facebook virus "25 Random Things About Me". But, no; I decided to be an onion and shed another layer for my readers*. Give you guys a deeper look into the encryptic mass that is my mind. It's a trip sometimes; having my inner most thoughts on a daily basis could cripple some people, but Someone thought it necessary to instill them in me. So, that mini epiphany aside, I'm going to talk about something I love more than anything. Ha! I said, something, so surprise...I won't be including another blogisode in the "I Love This Man: Scuba Steve" files with this post.

I'm talking about Audio Engineering.

It's my passion, literally. Engineering sound is something that I've loved for a long time; not as long as I've loved music but it's a pretty close second. And I don't just mean faders and pans, I'm talking signal flow--EQs, phantom power high/low cuts...all the in-betweens. Even went to school for it, and now it's something I'm slowly starting to make moves in. Today, I realized that I have my goals in order; I consider it an accomplishment because not only is each goal detailed, but I am doing the things to make my goals attainable. To put it plainly: I'm feeling pretty damn good about the way wheels are beginning to turn. There was a time where I was often pessimistic about a lot of things, but constant trips to rock bottom have finally served a purpose, and now I'm actually seeing a silver lining. Plus, I also started noticing that my negative thoughts had a habit of coming to fruition, so I learned quickly to not speak every thing into existance.

Long and short? I'd love to be the Chief Engineer/Mixer of a recording studio. Behind the scenes is definitely where it's at for me; the idea of being the person to make your music really sound like something makes me drunk with power. Honestly, I love the fact that it really is a science to sound, and a certain technique that should be mastered when it comes to the art of Mixing. I'm not talking about mixing like your favorite DJ, I mean automating the horns to crescendo when the chorus drops in; or tweaking a gate on kick drum to give it that sound like the pedal is made of feathers when it strikes the head. Or, better yet; what kinds of microphones require phantom power to fully function? What's the difference between a monitor fader and an input fader? I know. And it's because I love knowing that I figure the best way to make money is to be the best in what I love best.

My brother is a person who has somewhat the same desire as me, so we've put our brains together and created a production company. I won't be crazy and reveal every tiny detail, but I will say we have a team. We're basically a family of drummers, writers, dancers, actors, tag artists, emcees...we've got a team. Please note: this is not some lame attempt to "feel myself" in any matter. Arrogance is a quality I tend to have zero tolerance for, and hypocrisy is another that gets under my skin. I wish not to combine the two, but I am happy to have certain people in my life because I know they're here for a reason. Sliding back to the matter at hand, I would like to mention that the first track that you hear when stopping by my blog is actually a track that we've made. We go by the name of BlackMuzik, and if this post wasn't long enough already, I'd include a backstory on how we got the name. Next post, I promise. Anyways, we have a Myspace page up, and if you ask us, it's doing fairly well.

http://www.myspace.com/blackmuzikpro

That's just in case you didn't see the link in the above paragraph. We're always looking for new friends to share our music with, so if you've got a Myspace page somewhere in your social networking rolodex, add us to your list of cool friends.

All in all, I'm loving the direction I'm going in. It was a tricky start, but I'm glad to get the ball rolling in some shape or fashion. Maybe I'll have another post about this in the near future, but with even better news.

Thanks for reading; I know this was long, but you learned something else about me. How cool is that?!

(deuces.)

*Just wanted to say a quick Welcome to new readers. Having readers makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Thanks again, all of you are awesome...and your blogs rock!

If This Is A Joke...I'm Not Laughing.

Allow me to begin this blog with a backstory. I've been having this idea for a post regarding everyone's favorite...DJ? Overpaid hypeman? Loudmouth? Pick one, either way...I'm talking about DJ Khaled. Chances are, if you've listened to the radio (blah) once or twice in the past 3 or 4 years, you've probably heard his high pitched voice interrupting some million-artist-featured (which, by the way, starts to become the same crew of people) track, reassuring you that "WE DA BEST!"

So, after I did that little intro, I was going to pose the question: Will Khaled Really Go In This Time? Then I was going to briefly touch on his growing beef with 50 Cent, who has officially kicked everything into the millionth gear by bringing Khaled's moms into the beef. I was going to include a link to this video (since embedding is disabled on almost each one available), T-Pain's "Karaoke"; a video in which Khaled can be seen kicking over tables and pointing in elderly people's faces, threatening to "pull their skirts" and "go in"...let's not forget his promise to always "Go HARD".

Once I was done with establishing my story, I would briefly question if, at the heightening of this Fif/Ross/Khaled beef; said DJ would finally sh*t or get off the pot by "going hard" and "going in" as he claims he always does. On someone else's track. I mean, I always hear him saying something to this degree, but I have seen nothing that would make me say, "Yo! That dude Khaled really goes hard!"

I was going to let the readers know how peeved I am at this guy for making money by doing absolutely nothing. My story was going to be the bees knees, I swear it.

Then, I read this story, and now I don't know if I want to laugh or cry.

"Khaled, known as of late for bringing slews of artists together on his popular posse cuts will officially be taking over Def Jam's southern division, once led by legendary rapper Scarface."

"Khaled will oversee such artists' releases as Ludacris, Young Jeezy and Ace Hood. Rick Ross, who has worked with Khaled on numerous projects, will have the fist album released during Khaled's tenure - the upcoming Deeper Than Rap."

Wait. The hypeman is going to be PRESIDENT of DEF JAM South?! Where the hell have I been?! How did this happen?! Does anyone else see a problem with this? He's going to be overseeing artists that have been in the game longer than him. Wow.

I'm officially afraid of the future of Hip Hop.

If Weezy's rock album goes platinum the first week out...I may just take a blogging hiatus.

I'M GOING IN.

(deuces.)

So I found the video after finishing the post...didn't want to go back and edit, so here it is at the end. Check your dude Khaled out: threatening or annoying? You be the judge.

btw: I'm really hoping that the article was really some sort of pre-April Fool's joke. HipHopDX is known for dropping a few phony funnies.

EVERY girl in the world, really?

I'm sure that there are plenty of blogs and websites who have been writing about this track; it's been out for a good minute now. Lil Wayne and crew (Gudda Gudda, Drake, Mack Maine and Jae Millz) dropped the song "Every Girl", and I'm sure it's the manwhore's anthem for 2009...and maybe beyond, unless someone comes up with something smuttier.

Personally, I'm not really a fan of the track for obvious reasons. The hook alone is enough for me shut it out: "...I wish I could f*ck every girl in the world..." Wow. That's awesome, really. You guys really made me feel like the garbage God placed me on this earth to be. Feel free to share your desires of sexually exploiting me on wax, I'm sure your boys will get a kick out of it. But, as much as I dislike the song, I'm pretty sure it'll be a hit because why? Because it's LITTLE FRIGGIN' WAYNE. I actually like Wayne...on his good days, i.e. "Dr. Carter", "Let The Beat Build"; you know, songs he does when he doesn't sound like he's got every drug you can name in front of him in the booth.

Let me get to the point of this post: as annoying as the hook is, there is one verse that crosses this joint over from annoying to just plain disturbing.

Sanaa Lathan

Meagan Good

Angelina Jolie

D Woods

For free suites I'd give Paris Hilton all-nighters

In about 3 years, holla at me Miley Cyrus

I don't discriminate, no not at all

Kit-Kat a midget, if that ass off, I break her off

I exchange Vcards with the retards

And get behind a Christian like Dior cause he are...

Um, Mack Maine...wtF? The line in bold is what made me rewind his verse on my first listen; I was pretty much cool with the first few lines. But midgets, Christians (which I somewhat understand due to that church girl/freak stigma) and the mentally challenged? Is this supposed to be hot?

They're making a video. Somebody help me.

(deuces.)

Vulnerable.

Okay, so... I'd like to say I'm sort of tough. I mean, some may agree; judging by my posts, I really haven't posted anything too...open. I always talk about music, something random and always with a splash of humor, sarcasm and real thought. But, every so often, I let loose and simoultaneously let my guard down. It can be a good thing, a great thing...I just hate being too...mushy. If I'm not writing it in a poem, you won't hear it from me. My own defense mechanism. I'll let you in if I deem you worthy enough.

The only thing that gets me open is music. Music is a powerful thing, you know. High frequencies can make you feel alive, jubilant; while lower frequencies can drive emotions of anger and sexual energy. Listen to your favorite Plies song. That's why you feel like stabbing someone after getting it in with your chick...on the same song. Depending on what I'm listen to, if you pay attention you can almost easily determine my mood. I listen to what centers me in a given situation.

Now, if you've been reading, you'll remember my post about Beyonce (hilarious video included) a while back. Well, B's done it again, dammit. I only took a couple of listens to I Am...Sasha Fierce, so I didn't give it a chance to do my usual nerd thing and dissect every track. Recently, Scuba and I had been hitting some rough patches for a little while now, so naturally I've been turning to music to soothe me. I was sitting at the PC one day, letting iTunes randomly play out my life, and I stumble across some of the most beautiful lyrics I've heard...well, not most (do you listen to Phyllis Hyman?!), but given the situation, I was feeling a little sensitive at the time.

Damn you, Mrs. Knowles-Carter, for "Halo".

Halo - Beyoncé

The song was so...necessary at that time; combined with my emotions of the moment, I was almost moved to tears. Some songs (if "formatted" correctly) can tap into your mental, and before you know it, you're belting along, picturing your loved one standing in front of you while you serve him what's his a la "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going". Not that that was me or anything.

I'll have you know, Scuba and I are doing great. Life just has the habit of forcing lessons on you when you least expect it. But the truth is, and I tell him this on a daily basis, this is the best relationship I've been in...ever. The love is there, the respect is definitely there and he's my best friend, so we don't have to worry about awkward moments when it's time to have adult conversations. I could say so much about one man...but I'm tough, remember? That's all you get for one month.

(deuces.)

BET does something right...word?

It happened again! Another nerdgasm!

BET redeemed themselves for their (mostly) sucky programming with last night's BET Honors. Hosted by Gabrielle Union, BET paid recognition to pioneers and legends in the African American community such as Tyler Perry, Mary J. Blige, Magic Johnson and a personal favorite of mine, Judith Jamison.

Music was great; each honoree got a special performance by artists like Anthony Hamilton, Queen Latifah, Stevie Wonder, Monica (she's back!), Anita Baker...

pause. Anita Baker's performance gave me chills! Best performance of the night by far. Performing right after Monica to honor Mary J. Blige, she definitely brought the old school vibe to the forefront, singing one of her hits, "Rapture". Although Anita brought the vocal fire, Monica got a standing ovation for her performance, and more for her heart-to-heart moment with Mary on stage, where she was quoted to say "...most of all, you taught me to love myself, and let him catch up with the woman that I've become..." Wow! Even my brother stood up and applauded her for that. Scuba stood up and gave me a kiss. Awww.

Anita is truly an example of the music I miss and love. Whoooooo!

If you watched, what were your favorite moments? You know how to let me know...drop those bombs! And by bombs...I mean comments. :)

(deuces.)

grammy nerdgasms

Yes, I said nerdgasm. That was what I experienced as I watched the 51st Annual Grammy Awards last night. I won't get into too many highlights, but if you have sense you'll know that that was possibly the best Grammy Awards in a pretty long time. Every performance was awesome, even down to Neil Diamond, who looked a tad bit stoned during his set. The only thing I didn't agree with was the last award for Record of the Year, given to Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Nothing against them, I actually love their music, but considering who they were up against--Coldplay, Lil' Wayne, Radiohead and Neyo--the fact that they pulled that off is still a little questionable to me. Chrisette Michele won a Grammy for "Be OK", M.I.A. looked beautiful on stage, pregnant belly and all; Beyonce was nowhere to be found and neither were Rihanna and Chris Brown, whose reasons for their no-shows were revealed earlier this morning. Whitney looked blasted, J-Hud pulled off an incredible performance, Boyz II Men were spotted singing backup for JT and Al Green(?), the Jonas Brothers performed with Stevie Wonder, T.I. and JT's "Dead and Gone" was spectacular, Adele sang effortlessly alongside Sugarland...the list goes on and on. Nerdgasm, I tell you. NERDGASM!

So now I'm going to upset a couple of people. Now, being a lover of all music, I loved every performance last night. Carrie Underwood's performance of "Last Name" was excellent, and I actually love Sugarland! But...if I have to pick a favorite performance last night, who would it be?

If you guessed (typically?) the "Hip Hop Summit" styled-performance of "Swagga Like Us", you're wrong. Don't get me wrong, the performance was great; the Dean Martin theme and black/white view was dope, and as mentioned above, M.I.A. rocked it. But, my personal pick for this years' best performance goes to Radiohead. Thom Yorke and crew teamed up with the USC Trojans Marching Band and tore the place down. I mean, come on. They had a marching band!!!

Best performance of the night, hands down. Radiohead is already a genius group, and live they're even better. Listen to the music, and you'll see what I mean.

What were your favorite moments/performances last night? Drop your thoughts in the comment box. :o)

(deuces.)

I Liked It...But Didn't Want to Put A Ring On It.

For the record, let me say I am not a Beyonce fan.
I'm pretty sure some diehard B fan/stalker just stumbled upon my blog and almost vomited onto his/her "I Am..". cd. Grow up. I said I'm not a fan. Meaning, I love (some of) her music; her business ethics are pretty decent, and she's making money; which I'm not mad at at all. But...I believe that once you've captured a certain crowd, if you're as good as critics say you are, your fans won't mind you growing up musically. With that being said, NO, I did not like "Single Ladies" OR "Diva". She's pushing 30, and she's married. And, to my knowledge, a diva is not the female version of a hustler. Or maybe that's just me. Long story short, I think Beyonce is a great performer, her vocals are hot, and she definitely knows how to make people remember her music. Hell, I'll admit to having a (legal!) copy of "Dangerously In Love". "B-Day" and "I Am..."? Not so much. But, kudos to you, Mrs. Knowles-Carter.

To those uttering that over abused H word past your lips: stop. I am not, nor have I ever been a hater. I admire her hustle, and as I said above, her voice is incredible. I love Beyonce, but I don't have to like everything that she does, right? Right.

Now...if you thought what I said was bad, check out one of my Top 5 (of the moment) fave YouTube videos. And to those B fans cleaning vomit off of your concert ticket stubs, see if you call ME a hater after.

LMMFAO. I swear I laugh every time.

Oh. I'll have those 30/30s and the vacation post soon...but I needed to share this with you guys. You're all welcome.

(deuces.)

poem 10/30: heart.beat.

a year and a half into life
you struck into my heart
from daddy's hands to my ears
we've become inseperable
my way of life and my signature
who I am
i can say anything through you
each note vibrating through chakras
reinforce the heartbeat
you flow through me then reach the hearts of others
remind them of who they are
and if i stop playing, i am no longer myself
and if you stop, the world will cease to breathe
you represent a vital organ
and while i march to my own tune
root notes always lead me back to you
dancing on polyrhythms like blood flowing through veins
some hear you and are forever changed
what's funny are the people who claim they've never seen or heard of you
or closed minds who say you're for one kind of people
but all they need to do
is unlock the furthest recesses of their mind
and they will find you
watered down through hiphop and popular music
but those who truly know you
hear you in the shortest of songs
cherish you
like the very air we breathe
and feel you
like the very stick striking the head
feeling every single drop of blood flowing through the heart.

the "Boss" has me lost.

First thing's first:

I probably should've posted something about this album a little earlier, but it's really never too late. I deem it a classic. In my opinion, he makes up greatly for Release Therapy, which wasn't all that great. Lyricism is a plus on Theater, and of course you can expect some made-for-the-club hits, i.e. "One More Drink" feat. Mr. Autotunes himself, T-Pain.

Now, I'm okay with having featured artists on your album, but I believe that (a) they should not come with a better verse than you (Em's first verse; "Renegade" ring a bell?), but at the same time they should (b) not have a completely garbage verse, either. Everyone's favorite Boss/Correctional Officer totally misses both marks on Luda's track "Southern Gangsta". It was already my least favorite track on the album to begin with, but Rick Ross certifies it roadkill with this opening line:

"I got a letter from the government the other day//I opened it, read it//It said we were hustlers..."

No, I have not altered his line for my own sake. Dude really said that.WTF? What the hell are you talking about? I would post the song, but I'd rather not taint my post with his wackness. =/ Check out imeem and get one of the imeem wizards to pull the song up for you.

If anyone understands what he's talking about and wouldn't mind breaking it down to me, please don't hesitate to drop me a comment.

Have your own picks for wackest lines/verses? Post them here.

(deuces.)

btw: expect 2/30 later in the day.

30/30, 20/20 and updates; oh my!

For those who enjoyed the holiday last week, stuffing yourself until your pants opened up on their own, great job.

I'm going to try and keep this brief...
Just took a look at my blog and realized that I haven't posted anything...well, personal...in a good while. I mean, my blog is titled "Oooh, Hecky Nawl; That Guhl Is Raw." for a reason, and according to the tagline I typed for the description, I'm supposed to be guiding you readers (sans seatbelt) through my random, turbulent, awesomely awesome music-filled life. However, the past few weeks for me? Not enough time in the day, not enough emotions in my mental bank or for my hormones to handle, and ultimately no time to blog unless it was something nonrelated to my stressful life--at the moment. Between work, more work, performances, personal problems and holiday time, something had to be left on the back burner. What's been going on, you ask? Allow me to bring you up to speed:

-Spent some time in Philly with the fam. My cousin is a student at UArts and she had a performance/final to put on, so everyone (check the picture) drove up to see her. I enjoyed the whole show, seeing other students pieces was pretty fun, but her piece stole the show. She really made her sister proud. Filling up half of the theater was pretty hilarious as well, all the chairs marked "Reserved for Wombwork Productions, Inc." LMAO, the families of the other students were livid.

-Thanksgiving was wonderful. Dinner at two houses? I won't complain. Didn't really eat much, but the time for family fellowship is always welcome to me. My best friend's also been in town, so I got a chance to hang out with him; and my cousin finally came home from Frostburg State University for the holiday break.

-Nu World was presented with the opportunity to perform for the Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He came to Baltimore to speak about outreach programs in the city. He was very excited to hear "music from home", as we did our very best rendition of a Miriam Makeba classic; a South African freedom song that literally translates "our mothers prayed, and because they prayed; we're still here, we're still fighting and we'll never give up the struggle for total freedom." Awkward moment: the whole event was held in a Catholic church, so after the choir sang their songs, and we performed...no applause. Weird. Very funny man, I swear. He had us (Nu World) cracking up as he practically shat on America, saying things like, "Your country is very funny, yes? What other place can you go where someone drags a man behind a truck, then elects a man of African descent as president?! Amazing!" or "First you have 700 BILLION dollars...then...poof! It's all gone! How?" I enjoyed being in his energy, he's a political icon, and now one more person I can check off of my "People I'd Like to Meet" list. This year alone I performed for the Last Poets, met Amiri Baraka, and now I can say I've performed for Desmond Tutu. Now, if I could just touch the hem of Angela Davis' garment...lmao. She's #1 on the list.

-Got some new specks. Ahhhh, yes, I'm a tad visually impaired. Only a tad, though; I'm not required to wear my glasses all the time, only during long periods at the PC and reading. I think they look pretty neat. The best part about them? F-R-E-E! Yes, I did get up at 6:30AM to make sure I got a free eye exam and free glasses. Free. My favorite word. Ha.

-And finally: Scuba Steve. Wowwwww. We've really been through it since 11/15. I've felt like I've been holding my breath for two and a half weeks, but as of today, everything is okay. Well, not okay; but better than what they've been. We've both got a lot of work to do. I won't go into details about exactly what happened, but I will say that I've matured significantly during this off time. Something from the past (read: before we were together) came back and almost kicked both our asses. Mentally? We were both screwed. A very emotional time for us both. We've even lost a few pounds due to stress. The thought of me having to let him go, and his thoughts of losing me were too much for us to handle. There's that double edged sword I was talking about. This issue was a good bulk of my sort of absence from...well, everything. I pretty much alienated myself from everyone and everything for the first few days, then gradually worked my way back as we tried our best to move along. Scuba and I are basically starting over. *sigh* But...I really believe it's all worth it.

Wow. That was nowhere near brief. LOL, sorry. Last thing, though: I've been promising and promising some poetry for you guys for a while now, and now it's time for me to shit or get off the pot. After doing some brief research in my hometown, I've come to the conclusion that no one has heard of 30 poems in 30 days. However, it won't stop me from doing my own! So after this post, the next blog you see from me will be Day1/Poem1, up until I've reached my 30 days. Thanks to Riv for posting her blog a while back and sparking my interest. Until next time...

(deuces.)

btw: for those who have asked or are wondering...yes, the picture at the top of the blog is me. The good ole days... :o)

"...when it hits, you feel no pain...so, hit me with music..."

The break may be over now. Not sure, really. I just really needed some time to think about certain events highlighting my life, and over thinking could cloud the gut instinct-type decision I've already made to handle the situation.

Now, the reason of this post: if anyone has been reading the random things that show up on this blog, you'll know that I am a music fiend. I'm an 80s baby, so by default I should be accustomed to the wonderful sounds of Hip Hop, but noooo; I tend to share my love of all things music with all genres. Yes, country music even gets love from me, too. Gasp.

The genre I listen to usually mirrors my mood. If I'm in a sad mood (as of now), I tend to listen to jazz (Dizzy), blues (Lena&Billie), or old school R&B. No, I'm not talkin' "...never trust a big butt and a smile!" (sidenote: If you clicked the link, I'm not saying this song isn't classic. I'm just taking it a little further back. That song was actually my favorite song as a little [little] girl.), I'm talking about Phyllis (one of my personal faves), Chaka, Gladys, Tina; Teena, Luther, Marvin (swoon), et cetera. Sometimes I may have a thought in my head that brews uncontrollably, so I accompany the mental storm with Igor Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring". Note: Vaslav Nijinsky was a sick choreographer. So there is a positive to being a (sometimes) moody woman...finding the best song to describe your feelings at the time, especially if there's not a soul who will understand how're you're feeling right now. You know what I mean.

Today, I stumbled across some music on Imeem.com--they've stepped their game up on the html tip and decided that they'd like the music to be continuous during your cyber visit. So, intstead of the music stopping if you've only selected one song, poof! Some little Imeem wizard automatically takes you to another mp3, "randomly" selected according to the artist/genre you chose. I can't even remember what I've been listening to; I was feeling pretty random today, so I just let my ears drown in whatever I stumbled upon. All of a sudden, there it was.

Now, to some people; at first listen it may persuade you to break out the glo-sticks and pacifiers, but it's really a decent song. Great "believe in yourself!" themed lyrics, upbeat tempo; something you can vibe and maybe two step to. There's a mellow voice to sweeten the pot, not Fantasia, but not yet Clay...but not yet Kelly...that American Idol manufactored voice that you may rarely like. Sorry, Idol fans.

Point is, given my situation, I may have never given this song a listen until now. I'm not saying that this is the techno power ballad to end all techno power ballads...but it's damn sure a picker-upper.

Then the Imeem wizard must have felt my desire to laugh, so poof! This played after.

LMFAO.

(deuces.)

peace, Mama Afrika.

"Miriam Makeba, the South African singer who wooed the world with her sultry voice but was banned from her own country for more than 30 years under apartheid, died after collapsing on stage in Italy. She was 76."

Another one of my favorites and personal greats...gone.

You'll be missed.

Ashe'.

what good is a ear...

...If a Q-Tip isn't in it?

Album Name: The Renaissance

Artist: Q-Tip

Dropped: 11/4/08

Status: DOPE.

Thanks, Kamaal.

(deuces.)