Okay. The homie Dial81 and Intricate Dialect dropped a free project at www.SuperiorBelly.com last week and this is my fav song off the track. I hate saying why songs are my fav and explaining art in general (it’s just how I feel) but i’ll appease you a little. I really dig the Superior Belly camp because frankly, they do whatever the fuck they want. They’ll sample anything, say anything, try anything and that’s what makes the style everything. I especially think that care free creative attitude comes across on this track. Listening to this can quickly turn a winter night into a spring eve and something else that would be said in a woman’s deodorant commercial. With that being said take a listen and if you like it click the album cover below the track to jump to Superior Belly and download the project for free.99.
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Tags: Beverly Fresh, Dial 81, Farenheight 2040, Free Download, Intricate Dialect, Mobil, Sweet
whaddup peeps,
as you would know from reading this blog it’s not specifically about anything in particular. i just really talk about me and my friends. as music is a big part of my life it comes through in a lot of what I talk about (I guess that’s why it’s called hip hop is my soul). Anyways with Life being Music and Music being Life I got home from the bar last night and decided to do a free write which I haven’t done in sometime to some instrumentals. What I mean by a free write is the verses are going nowhere in particular. For quite sometime everything I have written is going towards an upcoming project of mine or a friends. This has caused me to write less in between projects and I think a little of my sanity has suffered for it. The notepad is the poor mans therapist after all (although sometimes on nights of writers block it can feel like that note pad is judging you).
Anyways, I’m not sure if I’ll frequently do this but I decided to share what I wrote last evening. I don’t know if I’ll frequently do this because I don’t know if the words translate just by reading them on the page and without delivery it’s like a text message where the feeling can be misunderstood or seem cold and without emotion. However, per usual I’ll let you decide with your feedback if I should do this more often or not. With that being said let the show begin. I was listening to The Roots “LNJF Sandwiches” project when I wrote this. If you don’t have it i definitely recommend you grab it from Okayplayer.com as it is up for free download. The track off of it I wrote is to “Someone is Late for Dentist”. I always say you can learn all about me by listening to my words. I’ve written a lot of verses so each one only tells a fraction but either way here’s to us getting to know each other better in 2010.
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where are you going?
Ah my sweet solitude
I think I’m in the mood
To explore my mind got a little spare time
To get to know me, I know the old me
But I’m feelin’ brand new over this cold beat
So let me bundle up with this melody
Wrap my my ear drums in headphones and zone
Philosophize life simplified to a poem
Sanitize my soul let go of ego
And we go explore new territories
new experiences bring new stories
And we ain’t doin the same old
Naw never that, politic with clever cats
On the stoop like 227 with my sisters and brethren
Just livin’ lovin’ existence and this is
A love song dedicated to who
Well if you listenin’ dedicated to you
Nothing else to do but put your name right here
So help me out, scream it loud say your name
Let em know what you about, let em know why you came
But the question still remain’s where r u going
With styles as deep as the ocean
You can go with the flow and the next day switch it up
It’s your life, but use caution often many lost within the tide
When it rise, to swim against it is suicide, do or die
Man was once shy, now come alive in the limelight
Did he really change or just wait until the time right
That we’ll never know, he’ll never know himself
Really no right or wrong, you’re right or go left
U can be part of the in crowd but that crowd is out now
Ask me too confusing to figure out
Cat’s got the fly shirt, jean, sneakers to the cook out
Then that drama come they burn rubber who woulda thought they shook now
Cats united minds blind
Opened there eyes lashes rise to find out they on different sides
Meet me in the middle my conglomerates moderate
To everyone that think they spit that wonder rhymer shit
You better think again, yo your click ain’t shit,
Ask who I’m with yo it’s only USM
We only the illest when it comes to beats and the blends
Cats only feel this cause the dj spins again and again
I’m only gifted when it comes to the pad and the pen
And when I spit it you get lifted cause it’s heavenly scent
The rest of the crew is no different, man we get’s it in
We ain’t fearin’ that competition may the best man win
I never cast that first stone cause I ain’t without sin
I say RIP Bob Marley, the song is redemption
And if ya listenin’ this goes out to you
And love kinda rhythm nothin’ left to do
But put your name right here
Scream it out let em know what you about
I’m me and proud say it loud
Yo we been up and down and we searchin for that common ground if you were wonderin’ that’s where we goin
Ah sweet community, it’s just u and me, me and u
None of this u n I verse that I been seein in this universe
Floyd mayweather fightin for that bigger purse
Fans fair-weather better know who’s friend or foe
Only show your hand once that man’s played his
Cat’s played out too many top 40 spins, so it begin’s
Here’s the backlash, indy 500 hopin’ I don’t crash
I cruise through days of thunder, brainstormin boy wonder
And here you are caught caught without an umbrella
Ella ella ella ay, rocafella ella ella jay
Rocafella fella fella dame, andre harella ella ella Motown uptown empires fella fella
Within a day but this fella fella fella is glad to say that I’m still down with the ones
that held me down from day one, my fathers son that guitar got strummed on every
album I’ve ever done , I’m not done I won’t stop yo I just begun, seriously I’m just starting to have fun, gotta walk for you run, now watch me speed up, hungry for hip hop each one feed one, ya see love and see that everyone gone need love, that free love, I’m tellin’ you that’s what we need love, love is love, see we give and receive love, it’s all love, from my head to my check stub, love is love from the beats on the album to cats on the net downloadin, to the models in the shoots steady posin’, to them cats that stay building you were chosen, even to them fake cats that stay posin’, you’ll stay anonymous cause we ain’t for exposin, we’d rather sit back spit raps with frozen tongues, 2k10 native tongues, music’s the universal language, so it’s the universe that I sang with
Whaddup All,
Haven’t done a blog in the new year yet so figured I’d give you a quick shout. No news is good news as it means I’m making moves to give you bigger news at a later date. At the very least that’s what I’ll tell you guys to make it seem like I’m not a complete lazy ass throughout the majority of my days, but that’s neither here nor there.
What’s here is that a brotha will be partying it up at The Bosco (22930 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, MI, 48220 or the lighted boxes right next to The Magic Bag Theater) this week. Actually, I’m just working there but doesn’t it sound much more luxurious and baller if I just say I’m partying. Semantics I SAY!!!!
Tonight (which is a Wednesday for you people that think the Romans have the final word on time) we will be celebrating the birthday of Jared Sykes.
unfortunately he didn't beat out Tommy Lee for the role in Men In Black. They wanted to go older.
You might recognize this man from playing various pieces of percussion (and no “percussion” is not slang for “ladies”. lol. let the roasting begin). He is also known for throwing killer parties and even more crazy after parties (if my girlfriend asks I’ve never been to these after parties and if the girls at the afterparties ask I’ve never had a girlfriend). Anyways, the point of this there will be many people there, the ratio will be dope, and drinks will be strong. If that’s not enough to convince you let me present exhibit B. My partner in crime Shaun.
trust me. Special K is to the left of this picture admiring our respective steezes and wishing him and Magic had that kind of chemistry.
The last time me and Shaun teamed up greatness occured in the form of this. Now if you are reading this post on facebook you really want to move your browser over to www.hiphopismysoul.com because this video will not embed. (get on your shit facebook)
Nuff Said.
Now onto Friday where the homie Frankie Bank$ will be spinning as part of the rotation.
this is Franki stretching before the show
He spins good shit, and we got half priced bottles of wine and champagne from 8-11. So if you’re with you’re lady this is the spot for that after dinner drink on some Johnny Kemp “friday night, just got paid” ish.
Alright kids. Spread the word on this if you don’t want me to get evicted from my home and hopefully next time I write I’ll have some good music news to share. oh, before I forget shout out to the homie Selfsays (@selfischarles on twitter) for getting some burn on the Gilles Peterson show. I would compliment him more but I’m extremely jealous and going into a dark place. lol. When I was in a better place I wrote a blog on him so search the site and get familiar. in a minute.
Tags: Frankie Banks, Jared Sykes, Self Says, Shaun Nyeholt, the bosco
whaddup people,
if you’re just tuning in to the blog you might not know but the group I have the privilege of being a part of, United States of Mind, has released our debut album “Kill The Bullshit” as a free download.
As nobody really reads this blog thankfully our good friends at our favorite site www.potholesinmyblog.com put it up for their readership to peruse over. Jump to their site to check out what they have to say by clicking on their logo at the end of this post. Happy Holidays if I don’t blog out for the rest of the week. All I want for Christmas is your eyes and ears so thanks for lending them to me from time to time. Until next time.
dig it
Tags: Kill The Bullshit, Potholes In My Blog, United States of Mind
Take That…Take that -- See you guys on the 26th
Tags: Detroit CYDI, Family Ties, Hugh Whitaker and Blake Eerie, United States of Mind
click the album cover to jump to download site
Whaddup my people,
About a year after it’s initial release we have decided to put our debut album up for free download. Why you ask? I’m sure there are some very good reasons. Here are a few I can think of.
1) Everybody seems to be doing it these days
2) We put a subliminal message in the download to make you murder every other rapper alive. Even the dope ones. (of course we hate whack rappers but we also hate rappers more successful than us)
3) At the end of the day we just want you to hear what we’re doing over here. The money and acknowledgment from our peers is nice and all, but it begins and ends with you. We do this to express ourselves and whether you like it or not, we’re satisfied if you’ve just given it a listen so you can make an informed decision. We don’t have any crazy kind of marketing machine or budget or cool friends that make us popular so a free download is our best way to mainline our music directly to the people.
If you like what you hear all we ask is that we let your people know that we’re out here and making music. Please copy this link and spread it around -- http://unitedstatesofmind.bandcamp.com/album/kill-the-bullsh-t and when I say spread it around I mean hit your blog, hit your twitter, hit your facebook, hit your friends facebook, hit your myspace (do we still use this), and if you run a site feel free to post it. That’s about all I gotta say about it. Fuck it actually -- if you hate it let us know too cause that’s valid. Just feel something. I feel like music has been watered down for so long people have become numb to it and it’s suddenly taken on the form of soilent green or something. It’s like peeps aren’t even hungry for Hip Hop like they used to be. Well I say “Kill That Bullshit”. We cooked something up last year that I feel is gourmet so eat the fuck up and break bread with your fam. Until next time.
Tags: Free Download, Kill The Bullshit, United States of Mind
word to Alex P. Keaton
Yes yes yall, ya don’t stop, USM crew rock on.
What is up my peoples and most importantly what’s good? I write this from the confines of beautiful AJ’s cafe in the heart of downtown ferndale after enjoying a delicious vegan philly steak and cheese sandwich. As I’m about to be off to work at The Bosco I figured I’d spare a few minutes and hip you to the happening on December 26th.
The flyer pretty much says it all in terms of the performances except for the fact that DJ Benny Ben will be spinning. If you need credentials on Benny Ben and you’re from the Detroit area I’m gonna need your credentials first before we even have a discussion on the matter. Moving along….
The point I was getting at that the flyer can only touch on the family aspect of this bill and the mutual respect and admiration between the acts listed on the bill. I’ll start with Detroit CYDI.
Can You Dig It? (that's what the CYDI stands for if you haven't figured it out yet)
As I’m often sleepwalking through life (not in the way of these brainwashed masses but you get the point) I only really woke up to CYDI about a year ago first meeting them individually as people and then getting hip to their music through my man Hubert Sawyers site (www.fryinginvein.com where you can go for things that you don’t know about yet, but will swear you’ve been up on when it blows up). Regardless, they are amazing people (that goes for them and their extended fam -- whaddup Stryfe, Notion, Marc Byrd and the million other cats i’m sure i’m forgetting) and the music is eclectic varying style but never really ceases the smooth. Speaking of smooth, Buttermade Records will be in the building (the imprint that released “Turn Up The Smooth” by Stoopz n Breeze) as Blake Eerie and Hugh Whitaker release their much anticipated project “The Lateef EP”.
I had the opportunity to preview some tracks off this project at a listening party earlier this month and from what I’ve heard this joint is crazy. Keeping up with the crazy themes each track on this CD directly coincides production wise with tracks from Yusef Lateefs Detroit project (eat your heart out Danger Mouse). I’ve known both these gentleman through many years and beers so I can’t wait to have a copy of this in my hand. However, the Family Ties vibe extends beyond the groups performing which is why I tried to keep these descriptions as brief as possible. As usual it starts and ends with YOU.
We wanted to do a show around Christmas time for all the friends and fam we got that will be coming from out of town. The music is always important but for me personally on this go round it is ultimately secondary. The performances will be short and sweet so really I’m just looking to chill with all you people who helped make me the person I am (some for the worse. lol. you know who you are but come out anyways and lets reflect on how we haven’t changed a bit.) Trust if you’re reading this you are definitely in that friends and fam category (i’m not big enough to have anything but) so come out and lets share a joke or two and a brew. If that doesn’t get you teary eyed enough I got the clincher. aaaaaaaaand ACTION -
Tags: 1440 Collective, Detroit CYDI, Family Ties, Hugh Whitaker and Blake Eerie, The Lateef EP, United States of Mind
My boy Mike who is overseas playing hockey in the Netherlands sent me this gem. Maybe I’m on some grass is always greener shit, but every time I see something from cats overseas it seems like they have a crazy appreciation for the culture that we take for granted over here. Then again maybe I just think that because they’re still wearing the outfits from the golden era. lol. Check it and let me know what ya think.
Whaddup People,
Just getting back from San Fran and figured I’d give you a quick synopsis of my trip. Really just a few short observations.
1) San Fran was cold, but definitely not nearly as cold as this Detroit weather
2) People in San Francisco love “views”. And they have a lot of them. Over every hill you see something beautiful.
3) Mexican food in San Fran is dope, and the city is very vegetarian friendly.
4) It’s hard to find high life to drink out there, but pbr’s and tecate are in abudance.
5) The homie 5 ill of USM definitely has a good thing going out there and I hope I got the funds to make a trip back there this summer.
All and all my trip was a good one. I got some relaxation in and was able to work on some music with 5 ill and also my homie Black Nature from the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars. If you don’t know about them you can check them out here @ http://www.refugeeallstars.org and really get involved with their movement. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to check out the Full House residence, but I did hook up with Kimmie Gibbler. With that being said and me being home I also wanted to shout out Ro Spit and Monica Blaire for their new video “Renaissance State of Mind”. I love Detroit so check the video after the jump.
Tags: Black Nature, Detroit, Monica Blair, Renaissance State of Mind, Ro Spit, Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars
Hello All,
It is with great urgency that I write you this letter. In a little under 48 hours time I fly to San Francisco to visit the homie 5 ill of United States of Mind. He is pictured here.
somebodies seen Saturday Night Fever one too many times
However, as I looked in my accounts I realize that I am not going to have enough money for recreational activities on this vacation (you know like sightseeing, riding the trolleys, hookers, blow, seeing concerts, dining, more blow, recording time, and bike rentals). Of course, I could’ve managed my money better by doing less blow and hookers in detroit (there’s no trolley rides here) but it is what it is. I also shouldn’t have given 50% of my life savings to a midget financial accountant named Dallas (never trust people named after cities) but we are where we are.
Anyways, I will be tending bar at The Bosco this Wednesday (December 2nd) for our weekly night “Barely Legal Wednesdays” (Yes you read that right….don’t judge us).
i feel like this is not helping my cause
I urge one and all to come out and drink in abundance and tip well. Let me be honest here. I actually don’t care if you drink at all as long as you tip well, but my bosses will like you more if you spend some dough. Just kidding in that completely serious sort of way. In addition to my winning personality and award winning service, DJ Erv will be your soul providah for the evening (that means he provides the soul) and it will also be the lovely Ms. Jackie Barnes’s birthday celebration so come out and say hey to her as well, but most importantly give me money.
If you can’t make it to The Bosco on Wednesday it’s okay. You can just western union it straight to San Francisco. Hey if I make enough money on Wednesday I will even share some of the hookers and blow with 5 ill (not necessarily in that order and of course in addition to the trolley rides and sight seeing). Just because we’re starving artists it doesn’t mean we can’t ball outta control sometimes (actually I think it means exactly that but I’m trying to be the exception to the rule here people.) If not for me….do it for the hookers.
and lets not forget about….
Oh and I almost forgot. Before anyone gets all up in arms about this blog and takes this seriously (except for the money part of course) reeeelaaaax.
