Taurus Male

i've not really one for astrology...but this was a pretty accurate write for your boy.


"You like to enjoy your passions in comfort. Soft music, low lights and a good brandy are a must. You like to be surrounded with beautiful objects and you demand what you consider to be quality in all aspects of your life including your women. You don't like women who waste your time. If a potential lover really wants to be with you she shouldn't take too long to decide. You are patient but chances are you will fall asleep if she doesn't make her move. You don't like a mate who argues with you, after all it is fruitless because there is no way she can possibly win. You also frown upon the female who plays hard to get, now that's a game you just won't play. You are a physical individual, earthy, lusty and sensual, a connoisseur of food, drink and women. When you take someone out you want to get your money's worth and you expect your partner to treat you well if you show them a good time. You are strong willed, possessive, intensely emotional and highly sexed. You are protective over the female who knows how to satisfy your sexual cravings."

What do you think?

rhythmically speaking..

I want to pick up like we never left off
as two souls diverge, such as our own
its only inevitable that we will soon cross paths, again.
each time its a little different, but yet its still the same.
you still embody that melody that speaks to my heart
i found balance in life, but you provide harmony.
unexpected changes have brought us full circle
rhythmically speaking, we're at the bridge.
we live in transition, but now its time to bring it back home.

2009 - i had to do it

you knew it was coming...

So I might as well just jump right into it. I don't really know how I feel about the year as a whole. Personally this has probably been one of the most challenging years in my 24 years of living. Well, not THEE worst but probably top 3. However, professionally this has to have been one of my most productive and successful years of my career...so its a real trade off.

As I reflect back to NYE 2008 (just so we're clear I'm talking about December 31, 2008), I remember feeling a little uncertain, unsure, but giddy. A lot of new things were going on...new experiences, new feelings, new emotions - i really felt like 2009 was going to be a special year. In retrospect, it was. I was frustrated, torn, and somewhat lost most of the year but i never lost my sense of direction.

This years wrap has seemed to be the most difficult, and thus far has taken me the longest to conquer opposed to past years. I think right now i may have figured out why. A lot of the things I was dealing with in 2009 I thought I could face head on, and so I did. I came to terms with certain situations and made my peace with them, but they weren't necessarily done with me. I was tested as a son, a brother, a man, a friend, and as a companion. Though I may have said what people may or may not have wanted to hear; I was able to speak more freely from the heart and that in itself helped leave my heart less heavy.

I spent a lot of time this year figuring out a balance that worked for me, something that proved to tend to all aspects of my life and ultimately give me a healthier mind, body and soul. I made significant progress, but there is still more work to be done. I learned, the hard way, that I can never settle for where I am at, if I get too comfortable then I stop progressing.

I recently learned that dealing with your problems head on can be a very big mistake. My dude Johnny V., my favorite Cigar Connoisseur from Sac Town, told me one day in his shop...people always try to face their problems head on; yeah you solved that particular problem but you don't see what lies behind that problem..or what else is to come. He told me, in order to understand any particular situation you can't face it head on; you have to sit on top of it. You have to be able to look down at the problem and see it from the sky. See everything as it is and whats around it: front, back and either side. Only then will you be able to properly assess a problem and everything it involves and move accordingly.

2009 we made the toast, "no babies!"...but it was all jokes. Later we found out 2009 was seeded in balance and transitions. One of my best friends is expecting his first child this month, I'm really excited for him and his family and I just felt like sharing. Anyway, for 2010's new years toast Cliff and I said this year should be about harmony and establishment, taking everything we've learned thus far to find the harmony in life. Take our mistakes in stride and not losing focus of where we're trying to be.


So here's to 2010: Harmony and Establishment.


life is music, and music is love.

Nostalgic

As the pages turn, my life progresses..
Every minute I have this empty presence.
Every day with out her, my heart grows colder
like i sold my soul, can't stop thinking about her.
She goes through her days, but when they turn to night
she puts her face in the pillows to hide the tears that she cries.
she looks up to the lord with her blurry eyes, asks:
"Please, oh please, God tell me?"
What did i do to deserve such a fate?
I've been loyal to you, never questioned my faith
Now you got me all twisted and food lost its taste
And the beauty of life is slowly slipping away...

brain storming..

I get too caught up in reality and can't break out.
Sometimes, I limit my abilities by confining to the box.
Feeling obligated to give what is expected, rather than sharing what I feel.
I'm stuck in a comfort zone that isn't as comfortable as it seems.
It lacks vision, direction and discipline...
I'm left with ciaos; but that is where I thrive.
I sometimes ether myself for the opportunity to over come.
No man alive can tell me what is attainable; I decide.
My dreams aren't conceptualizations, they are destinations.

Recording Artist and Performing Artists

Many people don't understand the difference between a recording artist and a performing artist, let alone recognize that the two are not correlated. There is a difference between being a recording artist and being a performing artist; title says it all. Very few have mastered both realms, and those who have are legends.

What young artist need to understand, and I stress this to my artists all the time, they need to have something that isn't on the CD or the album. They need to have something that is going to keep fans wanting to see them live in concert over and over again. If a fan goes to see an artist live and their concert sounds exactly like what they heard on album...what’s the point of going to the concert when there is nothing special about the show. You’re just paying to hear the album extra loud.


This blog is also featured on The Speaker Box.

Crumbs today, feast tomorrow

I have a story, and this story took place recently. It’s summer, and rightfully so my boys and I took a vacation. Not so much of a vacation as an extended weekend get-a-way. Anyway, we were in Vegas and I know "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" but this story needs to be shared.

So I was walking down the strip headed back to my hotel with the fellas when I notice a man standing on the corner holding CD’s, which turned out to be his demo. As I approached, we made eye contact and he asked me if I was a fan of hip-hop. I told him I was a fan, but I failed to mention how much of a fan I really was as well as to what degree my involvement in hip-hop stems. He told me he’s a young rapper trying to get his hustle right by making music and selling it, as well as getting exposure along the way. He offered to let me listen to his mix tape, and tried selling it to me for 10 dollars.

First, I asked why he was selling it for so much money. He told me because there were 22 quality tracks on the mix tape. Then I asked him, if he really wants people to listen to his music, why not just give it away to people who are interested in listening? (Now one of the worst places to do so is probably the Las Vegas strip since a high percentage of the people walking by are probably intoxicated and won’t hold on to anything for dear life except their drink). He asked me, “If I give away my music, how am I supposed to eat?” …so I told him:

If you are really trying to get your music heard and build a fan base, you need to supply people with music to listen to. Unless you find that rare person that thrives off finding fresh new talent to listen to, or someone that enjoys following the career of an artist as they move up in the game, no one really wants to buy music from someone they’ve never heard of. Especially, when everyone can download music from an artist they know they will like, for free. You'll make your money doing shows, because if you are dope on record then people will want to come see you live...from there your success comes from not just being a recording artist, but a performing artist as well.

That’s the gist of what I told him before I walked off. The point I was trying to make to him is that using your music as a promotional tool to build a fan base rather than as a unit to turn profit would be way more beneficial to an artist in the long run as opposed to earning the quick buck now. You could make some money now and acquire a few fans, or develop a large fan base that will ideally garnish you with enough people to sell out a venue for a show…I personally would choose the career move.



this blog may also be viewed at: One Love For Music Blog