Mayer Hawthorne - Maybe So, Maybe No from Stones Throw on Vimeo.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Birthday gift to a dear friend..
She's a big Kanye fan so i gave made her this piece and wrote some of the names of her favorite tracks from 'Ye....i gave up my autographed copy of The College Dropout. It wasn't an easy thing to do but i'm sure she'd appreciate it more than i ever would...Happy 20th Raquel!
JOURNAL ENTRY #2 April 29th, 2010
Waddup tho?! Alrite, so tell me why i went to a Nas concert last Saturday?! Shit was very very epic. Oh, Little Brother and Murs were there as well. They kilt that shit too....but it was so crazy to see Nas perform some of my favorite songs of ALL TIME RIGHT IN FRONTA MY FACE. He did most of Illmatic. To be honest, i wasn't even that hyped up physically. I just stood there and watched in amazement....true inspiration. But besides that? Hmmm...what else has been goin on? Work is work i guess....although i do like the hours because it leaves me with the whole day to do whatever it is i need to do. The people there are cool too...lets see....after many months of not being able to see ANYTHING, i finally got 3 new sets of contacts! As dumb as it sounds, being able to once again see makes me appreciate life much more. It really does...everything looks as though it's in high definition. Crazy right? But that's all i have for now, see you on Journal Entry #3.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
This Week: Enter The Wu-Tang/36 Chambers
Alrite, this week's album purchase goes to Wu-Tang's 36 Chambers. RZA's production on this album is amazing. He's probably one of my biggest influences as far as production. He purposely creates his drums to sound gritty and grimy, and at times, i sorta do the same thing. This is the album that introduced the world to the Wu-Tang Clan and contains hits such as 'Protect Ya Neck' 'Method Man' and 'C.R.E.A.M.'. Released in 1993, it still remains to be one of Hip-Hop's most important and revered albums.
Think, Period.
The following videos are a recording of me choppin it up wit my homie Steven about a buncha random stuff....interesting tho. LMFAO @ how i started the conversation on the second video.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Stevie Crooks '48'
Stevie Crooks - 48 by Stevie Crooks
Speakin of Stevie, i just sent him this text:
'I just crafted the most retarded beat for you! This shit is mentally challenged! Contact me ASAP!!!'
#MOMF!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
The Associative Laws of the Universe
Growing up, i've always heard people say 'You are who you hang around..'. For years, i dismissed it as bullshit, but as i grow older and wiser, i've come to realize that there is a science behind that statement.
You see...that statement is valid due to the associative laws of this universe. The associative laws serve to help us survive. EVERYTHING THAT IS DONE NATURALLY ON THIS PLANET IS FOR THE AID OF OUR SURVIVAL. THATS THE BEAUTY OF THE UNIVERSE! But anyway...survival. You are what/who you surround yourself with, for better or for worse. Examples. When we are exposed to the sun, we become tanned. In that tanning process, our bodies create melanin, a pigment used to protect us from harmful UV rays. If you surround yourself with 10 people who are all similar, you'll slowly adapt their ways. Not because you think they're cool, but because thats the way association works. It's science. The universe is designed to equip you with whatever elements you need to survive in that particular environment. It's why we get goosebumps...they serve as insulation for the skin to protect against the cold. On the flip, sweat serves as coolant for the body. I've even read that if you put a group females in an environment, then over time, they'll all begin to menstruate at the same time. Us humans alter ourselves to our surroundings.
I've noticed something VERY interesting. See, i grew up in LA but moved out to the I.E. when i was thirteen. The Inland Empire and Los Angeles contain TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT STYLES OF LIVING. Life seems to be quicker out in Los Angeles...you're kinda forced to grow up faster. The interesting thing is that if you take a 16 year old male that's grown up in the inner city and a 16 year old male that has lived in the suburbs his whole life, they look completely different. I've noticed that people in the inner cities look WAY more mature...this is due to the environment. When i was in middle school out in LA, there were 7th graders with full-grown beards. Out here, you hardly see that. Perfect example of the associative laws in action. Knowing this, begin to surround yourself with positivity, love and success....you'll have no choice but to begin to adapt and assimilate. Trust.
The Fear That Consumes Us..
They say the only two emotions that us human beings live by is fear and love, all other emotions are sub-emotions of the two. I couldn't agree more...love serves as progression, while fear's job is to hinder. We fear so many things every single day...things we aren't even aware that we fear. We harness power that is unmeasurable, but we'll never be able to unlock it unless we begin to overcome the fear that consumes us.
We constantly fear events that'll occur in the future, losing sight of the greatest gift, which is the present. And if you really think about it, your fear almost always outweighs the actual outcome. LIFE IS ALL ABOUT THE PRESENT. We seem to forget that....so we spend time dwelling on the past, and/or fearing the future. Think about this....how many times have you missed out on an opportunity to talk to a girl/guy simply because you were too scared to approach them? How many times have you missed out on an opportunity to connect to a stranger because as you walked past them, you were scared to make eye contact? Fear completely kills us...to the point where people are even afraid to be themselves because they're scared that they won't be accepted as people.
The fear of death is something that more people fear than not...i hate to say this, and i know it sounds bad, but that religion is responsible for that. We live our lives in fear that once we die, we may go to a realm of darkness where we will suffer for an eternity...if we're not good enough people. The bible even says that you are too FEAR GOD. Really? Why should we fear the entity that is all knowing and all LOVING? If we all knew that once we died, we'd be in a place of comfort and love, we'd feel much better about living here on earth, therefore getting rid of alot of that crippling fear (YouTube 'near death experiences'). We'd be one step closer to reaching full potential. Thus making us more capable. I believe that somewhere long ago, the concept of Love was kidnapped and implemented into a system that would allow a certain group (Illuminati?) to control us. EVIDENCE SHOWS that when controlling a subject, that subject must first FEAR YOU. It's actually much like training a dog. Therefore the concept of Love was worked into what we know as religion, which tells you that if you don't follow it, THEN YOU WILL FOREVER BURN IN THE FIREY PITS OF HELL! Cmon...really? I doubt it. The basic concept of Love is there, but different systems were created to separate us as people, making it easier for 'them' to control us. There should only be one religion in this world....LOVE.
But anyway, i've began to stray from my point....Stop saying no to life and start saying YES. No is fear, Yes is Love. Say those two words to yourself....like literally say them to yourself out loud RITE NOW. Don't those two words give you a completely different feeling when you say them? Watch the movie 'Yes Man' with Jim Carey. There's a great underlying message in that movie that you should pay attention to. Fear prohibits every single great opportunity that this world has in store for you. Being brave and saying 'Yes' not only enables an opportunity for that situation, but it's the beginning of saying yes to life and all it has to offer.
JOURNAL ENTRY #1 April 10th, 2010
It's been quite a while since i've regurgitated my thoughts onto this blog of mines...i hope my lack of productivity on here hasn't caused some of the faithful readers to stray. Well, i figure every now and then i should post journal entry type of posts...SO HERE GOES! Umm, let's see, what have i been up to? Well, i finally put out a full body of music and presented as a whole. That's something i've been talkin about doing since 2006! I'm glad to have finally got that done. But i'm even MORE glad to hear all of the good feedback. I really do appreciate all the phone calls, texts, and tweets (and RT's) telling me how much people are enjoying it. It's actually kinda overwhelming...i honestly didn't expect for this many positive responses due to the fact that those are songs that are so like...SUPER personal. Idk....those are songs that i've been holding onto since '08/'09. As time passes, i learn so much more about music, i really do consider myself a student of the art. SO, when i start to write again, the music will be MUCH better.
Lets see, what else, what else...oh, i just started working at this new job. TARGET. Don't judge me...i gotta do what i gotta do, alrite? LOL. It's an early morning shift job, 4am-10am. My mom and stepdad are moving to LA on May 1st and they're leaving this big ass house to lil 'ol me. That said, i'm looking to find job #2. Best Buy didn't fall thru as expected...i don't understand because i had TWO interviews the other day...who knows, maybe they'll call me back. They want me to be a TV salesman lol. Living here on my own will be something i'll have to get used to...NO ROOMMATES THO! The whole objective is for me to finally be on my own. The only person i'd let move in here with me is my girl, which i have yet to meet so....anyways, enough rambling, that's my first journal post for now...hey, that felt kinda cool. Maybe i'll do another one tomorrow..
Sunday, April 4, 2010
For Certain
It's a funny thing to watch myself mature before my own eyes...things that used to mean the world to me no longer carry any weight. Ok, for example...i just got out of dating this one girl or whatever...this girl was GORGEOUS. Everywhere we went, we were complimented because we looked so fitting as a couple. Everybody who knows me knows that beautiful women are my weakness....or should i say, WERE my weakness. The problem between this girl and i was that we really weren't compatible...at all. She wasn't what i was lookin for, and i wasn't was she was lookin for. Nothing personal, but sometimes things just don't work out. At the end of the day, when i would rest my head on my pillow, i wasn't exactly happy. Nowadays, i'm definitely certain on what it is that i'm looking for, and refuse to settle for anything less. I need a woman who can stir my mind with her conversation. Sure, a good looking woman can get me excited physically (lol), but what about mental and spiritual stimulation? That's what really matters...i've yet to find that. In any successful relationship, there must be an attraction between two souls, not just the two bodies. I know that you're out there but FUCK, where in the world are you?
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Stevie Crooks 'Gnarly' Promo
Stevie Crooks -Gnarly from The Topshelf Company on Vimeo.
Still waitin for that Crooklyn video to drop...i was on the set about a month ago and lemme tell you...that video is about to be a MONSTER.
Classics
TLC - Crazy Sexy Cool
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Sade - Love Deluxe
Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation 1814
Marvin Gaye - What's Goin On?
Musiq Soulchild - Juslisen
Prince - Purple Rain
Toni Braxton - Toni Braxton
Aaliyah - Age Ain't Nothin But A Number
Anita Baker - Rapture
Amy Winehouse - Frank
Mary J Blige - What's The 411?
This is a lil project i put together yesterday...came out pretty clean
Monday, March 29, 2010
Me, 'This Beautiful Mind'
I designed this project to tell the story of my life...i just didn't wanna make it so direct. All the good responses i've gotten leads me to explain the significance of the songs, as they all sorta serve as scenes of the movie in my mind...
The whole project deals with the woes of my love life...the good, the bad, the playful...ALL of it. So i'll break down some of the songs as they pertain to the project's underlying story..
2. Casual
Deals with the infatuation of a young woman, but a premature decision leads to my downfall. This song marks the beginning of what later becomes a depression..
5. Tisha
On here, i'm caught in between a current failing relationship and running off to start a new one with a chick named Tisha whom i've only known for a week. Confusion lies in the fact that a new broom always sweeps clean and i don't know if this new woman is 'worth the trade.'
6. A-Z
This song serves to show the humorous and playful side of things, however, vital to the next part of the story which is 'LaVerne'.
7. LaVerne
The previous song A-Z's playful notion was only the mask to what is now a very deep depression. I personally believe that when a man sleeps around with a multitude of women, it's because he's been hurt in the past and he's running from it. Just as alcohol is an alcoholic's way of escaping. This is the first time in the story where the depression is clearly visible and my vulnerability is exposed.
8. Of Mice and Men
The tale of how weed became my escape from my problems, all the while taking over me.
9. Deep Down Under
Although this song is only an instrumental, it's also vital to the story. The guitar rift beat is representative of my once sadness now developing into what is bitterness and anger. Just imagine if bitterness was an emotion that had a sound...this would be it.
10. Sold
After going from girl to girl, i can't seem to find what i'm looking for. Therefore i begin to sell myself short for the purpose of not wanting to be alone.
11. Thousand Miles Away..
If Love had a sound, it would sound like this song. This marked the point in my life where i finally met someone worthwhile, but felt as if it couldn't have worked because i felt she was literally a 'Thousand Miles Away..' In here, if you listen close, i harmonize in the background saying 'When she's callin i'll be comin, makes me wanna get away, girl you know i need your lovin but your love is a thousand miles away..'
13. On Fire
On this track, that anger returns with the guitar melody once again. A woman sings 'Every time he comes around i feel like i'm on fire, when he looks into my eyes and sees down to my soul..' This represents a woman i've met who totally submits herself emotionally to me, leaving room for her to be taken advantage of...leading to the next song 'Insecure'.
14. Insecure
This is where the woman is taken advantage of...now the tables have turned from the beginning. Now it is the WOMAN who is at her mother's house asking for guidance, rather than the opposite, shown on the track 'Tisha'.
15. twttrcrsh
The story takes an unusual turn here...as i become a user of Twitter, i meet a young woman there and for the first time in the story, things begin to look up for me..
17. Her Masquerade
This is the continuation of twttrcrsh as it seems i begin on an incline...the girl whom i had a thing for, i finally physically meet in person..
18. Very Very Clear
My conscience becomes very clear here, as i am reminded of the past. The song's dark tone is meant to take you back to a dark place in my mind that i've tried to repress. Thoughts about the women that i've previously Loved begin to surface.
19. Three's Company
The story of the three women that have played a significant role in where my mind is...the women that i've loved. I come to grips with the truth about those women and decide to actually speak about them openly and truthfully.
20. Outro
This is the happy ending of the story so to speak. I wanted to record vocals to it, but i feel as though that happy ending has not yet completely surfaced. It's beautiful though...the mystery of not knowing. The mystery of me walking out of my house at this very second and potentially meeting 'that woman.' The tone of this song is pure beauty, and the absence of words represents that mystery. There is no story to tell because i have yet to live the future. Life is looking up due to the fact that i've confronted my past, accepted it, and can now move on..
This Beautiful Mind...
Friday, March 26, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Good for the Soul
Me and my brother went to the massage parlor today (i know, right?). IMMA START GOIN TWICE A WEEK. Today was my first time goin and man....lemme tell you...i left out that bitch feelin like a new soul. Fifteen dollars for a half hour massage...well worth it.
Venus Vs. Mars
In relationships, many women often times find themselves receiving the short end of the stick. They end up as the victims of the proverbial emotional monster that chews them up and spits them out. But for every problem, lies a solution. Walk with me..
See....women and men are two very different species. Let me explain.
Male - The Hunter
The male is a hunter by nature, and it's been this way since the beginning of recorded history. Mother nature has equipped us with an intuition that is based around principles of logic. We intuitively feel the need to be the chasers in relationships, which is why in the classic model situation of a man and woman meeting, it is the man, more often than not, that is the one to introduce himself rather than the opposite. We are even physically built as gatherers, for we have larger frames, rougher skin, and physically stronger than our counterparts. We're often viewed by women as assholes, cold-hearted, and just plain stupid. However, that is hardly the case. Since we are guided by logic, it limits our ability to understand the emotion-driven female.
Female - The Nurturer
The female is a nurturer by nature. Mother nature has equipped them with an intuition that is based around the principles of emotion. They intuitively feel the need to openly express their feelings, physically and emotionally, as it is a part of their abilities to nurture. They cry at the end of movies, tend to feel less hesitated to hug and kiss, and are even physically built to be care-takers. For example, they have the ability to breast feed, as well as natural incubation of the embryo for the 9 month period after conception. They are often viewed by men as bitches, crazy, and over-dramatic. However, that is hardly the case. Since they are guided by emotion, it limits their ability to understand the logic-driven male.
Ok, so now that THAT'S out the way, let's talk about women and men as we relate to one another. Since women have no problem with OPENLY expressing feelings, they tend to do so when dealing with a man in the infatuation stage of them two getting to know each other. Many women wonder why it may be so difficult to read us men in that exact same stage. But it is not that those feelings aren't reciprocated, it's just that we don't express ourselves in the same manner. Many females become so attached in this infatuation stage, that they begin to feel as if they NEED their male counterparts in order to maintain balance and stability within their own lives. This in fact creates INSTABILITY in the two's relationship. Once a man sees that the woman NEEDS him, he either A. Withdraws from that situation, or B. Exploits and takes advantage of those feelings, which is wrong.
Because men are the natural hunters, we crave the chase, whether consciously or subconsciously. However, once the woman projects clear and obvious signs of neediness, the man, in a way, feels as if the chase is over, and therefore feels the need to either move on, or control the situation he's in. The woman who is conscious of this concept KNOWS to refrain from completely wearing her heart on her sleeve, and therefore lures the man into chasing her, rather than her inversely chasing him. This is the way the man prefers things, and he is then forced into a position where he is WILLING to project feelings of affection, which many men find to be a brand new concept. And now, that MAN begins to fall in...dare i say...love. Women are the natural dictators of relationships, although they may not realize it. The STRONG man has a desire to be wanted, not NEEDED. Once he sees that he is needed, he then can control the relationship, which is an unhealthy approach.
This same concept can be seen throughout all animal nature. Looking at dogs, the female dog often attacks the male dog to show him her dominance. This doesn't mean that the female dog is not attrcted to the male. It's actually a sign of attraction, and keeps the male longing for more. Humans actually do the same thing, we just don't realize it. When a little girl is attracted to a little boy, how does she react? She, many times, hits him or is mean or aggressive towards him. It's simple animal nature. Realize it, and understand it.
The most attractive thing about a woman to me is when she wants but doesn't need me. Female independence is one of the sexiest characteristics a woman can possess. Women, leave room in our minds to play around and wonder. This is the key to us longing for more. Trust...
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