DEAR HIP-HOP

i always knew that when i started writing and rhyming that i would definitely have to do a "Dear Hip-Hop" track. its only right to give back to your inspiration, and with that said, here is my letter to Hip-Hop...

Dear Hip-Hop, 

Lyrically you reach the epitome

of what it means to be

to be incredibly

physically strong, to handle

all these songs

speaking the epiphanies 

too much of it is real to me

O coward conscience?

How dost thou afflict me?

Dear Hip-Hop, 

how did u claim me?

years later you tamed me

made me

the person i am

the person i wanna be

the compositions understand

why i smoke tree

why i wanna be alone

and when i wanna bone

when i need it to stop

or wish is was faster

all the punchlines followed by giggles and laughter

all the flows so sick someone call me a pasteur

i think ive died and gone to heaven

oh no its only the 7th 

bar

homie i was just chillin, drinkin

i was gon get right back

can't wait till you ask for me on the track

make some beautiful music of my own

oh Hip-Hop, why did you give me a home?

let me roam, i'm never alone

with these buds in my ear

nothing i fear, clouds left, now its clear

i know 2009 gon be my year

DA ART OF STORYTELLING

now while many emcees try to master the art of storytelling, i can only think of one person who was a damn master...SLICK RICK of course! this dude was the king of storytelling, so i decided to explore my own story...i dont ask you to understand it or even like it, i just ask that you listen to my story...

So indecisive, clouded my life is

ended a chapter, the words i'll miss

page 3080 i bump the speakers and ride

my rearview mirrors, i cant even figure

out the corner of my eye my mind replies,

"how do i look back and drive at the same time?"

my recent experience so unkind

i try and swallow what pride i have left

and know that a sane life is one with no regrets

fuck a mid-life crisis, who said 50

is the only time in life i can be iffy

take is to '04, i already OD'd and widthdrew

how many 17 year olds you know been through

not being able to put the money in the account

thought you was my friend? oh no a miscount

it comes with the job, either get arrested or robbed

oh? and those regrets i was talkin about

yeah i got one

i would have taken the hit and let you run

all i know is i'm the only one who 'fessed

now both our worlds are a mess

i hated Mary Jane, that bitch betrayed me

no longer were my days high and carefree

like the drugs, the money was addicting

i knew i shouldnt, but one more 20 wont hurt

i had to stop, step out of my zone of comfort

i think now i would never quit

but my p.o. stayed watchin me piss

8 months i went, then she called my name

she said "Tashy tash, can you come out to play?"

followed by, "i know you didnt forget..."

i said "what to roll the blunt i gotta get it wet?"

of course i remember, break it up, i got the dutch

here i go in the old routine smoking joints and such

now i'm back in, i dont feel its a sin

if anything it was something my life was missin

but back to the story, i needed to prove myself

do it alone, so i can lose myself

i applied, got in, and there were no more questions

NY was my destination

days pass, the questions arise, was it the end of my rhyme?

have i been defeated? NY i feel cheated

this tunnel so dark, eyes cant adjust

another date with NY is a must

i forgave him, granted him another chance

knew i wanted him to be my man

i took a bite of the big apple

fell into a deep trance, i was romanced

he asked with a hand, "Would you like to dance?"

i stressed the "yes" and took a deep breath

"This is a high you will never forget"

pop & lock, two-step, laugh till we cry

"Oh you gotta man?"...."Yeah, i'm in love with NY"

now 3 years later things couldnt be greater

school work done now i gotta chase that paper....

FREAK NASTYYYY

i tried my hand at a lil kim inspired piece, i wanted to see how nasty i could get without blushing hahah...here i go...

 

My lips you kiss

wish it was my hips you miss

as they sway from side to side

maybelline stay on the lash of my eye

tryna find that guy

to make my eyes lose track

make my shirt throw back

make my ass clap clap

but if its another acuerdo

will you love me in the morning?

make you go round

till you cant help but go down

got the chocolate melting quick

go thru withdrawal from my shit

tellin me "yo i got 5 on it"

i wanna split it

spill my guts and hit it

now i'm lit

oh no he started with the clit

and its starts to blow my mind

promiscuity always a crime

stay away from the grime

all the while i grind

i rise

see yourself on my eyes

as you gaze thru the haze 

that makes your heart feel wise... 

CONCERTS/SHOWS

I'm so excited to talk about the concerts i've been to in the last year. Honestly, i was never one for live shows because i've always associated shows with things like Summer Jam where there is absolutely NO intimacy between the audience and performers. anyway, before i get into that, i'm going to start where i really started to fall in love with live shows. it was october 2008. a couple of my girlfriends suggested we go to the Jay-Z and Lil Wayne concert. i had no reservations about this, but at the same time i had no expectations about the show. i'm thinking, 'aight, i know all of Jay's songs and Lil Wayne got some bangers, it couldn't be a bad time.' Ne-Yo and D-Block opened up for the show, Ne-Yo knocked it out the park with his fly songs complimented by even more amazing dancers. D-Block killed it too, but i did feel their set was super short, i know i could have listened to them all night. Now, i'm there and its time for Jay to come on, Lil Wayne took the stage prior but honestly i could have done without his performance because he seems like he's always heavily intoxicated and being sloppy doesn't make for a good show. Needless to say he was rapping lying down on stage, and when i say rapping, i mean he was mumbling in the mic. ANYWAY, Jay comes out, and starts with his collage of songs with Memphis Bleek and then went into bangers such as "Roc Boys", "Show Me Watch You Got" and the forever classic "Can I Live." DJ AM made an appearance and began to play throwbacks like "Can I Get A.." Beyonce made a cameo appearance and told everyone if they liked it then they shoulda put a ring on it. Jay then finished the concert by shouting out people in the audience. I believe its because this was my first time seeing Jay-Z that i really realized the catalog that this guy has. there was not a song that didnt come on that didnt make me feel like the first time i heard that shit. and all i wanted to do was scream the lyrics so he knew that i straight co-sign with his every lyric and rhyme. Regardless of perhaps liking some songs over others, i really applaud Jay for being able to not only keep us hooked for so long, which is damn near impossible nowadays, but he ALWAYS leaves you with wanting more. this was the beginning of my fetish with seeing people live, i wanted to fall in love with hip-hop again

Next was Boyz II Men. a definite throwback, i randomly googled to see if they even did shows anymore, and it turned out that they were going to be at B.B. King's. Let me tell you, out of all their songs, "Motown Philly" is seriously one of my favorites. THEY OPENED THE SHOW WITH THAT SONG! it was the perfect way to start off the show, it got me so hyped which was good because it was towards the end of the show where they went through their archive of ballads where everyone starts to wind down. These guys are even more amazing live than they are on their albums. i think singers have it so much harder than rappers because they are forced to sound exactly how the album does, and if not, they are deemed a fake. Boyz II Men are truly the definition of entertainers, not only do they sound amazing, but the pain and joy that you felt when you heard their music was obviously present at the concert, being that it was in a smaller venue, you had the best seat in the house anywhere. they sang their hearts out to "Mama", "End of the Road" and "Water Runs Dry" just to name a few. They went back to their Motown Days as we listened to the classic tunes paired with old school moves. there is something about singing that really touches my soul, when someone can move you with only a sound, a noise, a note, that's real talent. 

The next concert i went to was the I AM Tour with Beyonce. now i dont know if its just me, but i think Beyonce is one of the baddest bitches in the entertainment biz. this chick is so versatile its ridiculous, she can easily rock to an R&B beat with a song like "Dangerously In Love", she slams upbeat dance tracks like "Get Me Bodied", she murders jazzy joints like "Ego" and just recently she went to the house side of things with and Michael Jackson inspired beat with "Sweet Dreams." of course Jay made his cameo, which made me think about how amazing it must be to be on stage with your significant other who shares the same love of performance. but enough about him, her concert was a damn timeline of her entire career up until now, even with a Destiny's Child tribute where all of her dancers rocked out to the songs as Beyonce had a wardrobe change. i went with one other friend, we have a mutual respect for Beyonce so it definitely wasn't just a concert, it was an experience. There was a point where she was lifted off stage and suspended in air over the audience as she basically "flew" to the other, smaller stage in the middle of the floor audience. now, i know that Beyonce is a master when it comes to choreography, but i always wondered if we were in a club situation, if Bey could do her thang. they start playing reggae, and she starts singing "You dont love me and i know now"...tell me why this chick starts doin the dutty wine like ive never seen anyone before. this was the defining moment for me, she really is a bad bitch. the whole concert was everything i expected and more, she was definitely someone "i had to see before i die." 

thats what i got for now...i'm coming back soon with the brooklyn hip-hop festival, a couple jam sessions with The Roots, and i'm super excited about this upcoming Major Lazer concert....catch ya soon....