"All the right friends in all the right places"

Only the most dedicated of musicians would stay up all night recording a song knowing just a few hours later they would have to be at City High. Call me crazy, but I really enjoyed myself. An old friend of mine contacted me on MySpace yesterday, just to touch base and say hello. He asked..

"So, what have u been up 2? how u been??"

and i replied

"Just fine thanks, still doin this music thing, what about u? Stayin outta trouble?"

and that was the beginning of the.... beginning.

We continued to converse about the music business and its ups and downs. We thought that collaborating on a song would be something to do, just for fun and we would at least get to spend a little time together. So he sent me a beat, I replied with a concept. Then he sent me feedback, so i sent him a hook. I still cant believe that I stayed up so late doing this, but I really like the song. We haven't given it a title yet, but for now I refer to it as "Come on Thru." I can't wait until its finished. Maybe we'll pull another all- niter today. And to think my greatest success of the week happened when I was barely awake at 2 in the morning.

You never know i guess??? =)

The 52nd Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards last night managed to surprise me, and give me the boost i needed to actually come to school today, not having slept for the last two nights. "Use Somebody" by Kings Of Leon, not only took home Record of the Year, but Best Rock Song as well. I was please3d by this, because I was expecting the Record of the Year to be given to a Rap record, considering how Rap's popularity has risen in the past few years. I'm surprised to learn that a rap record wasn't even nominated. Go figure.

Another pleasant surprise was that Jason Mraz, and alternative artist, walked away with both Best Male Pop Performance for "Make it Mine" and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Lucky" with Colbie Caillat. The fact that Jason Mraz beat out both Stevie Wonder and Ciara astonishes me, because you would never expect a mostly underground alternative artist to take even the slightest bit of glory for two artists as influential as these..

Beyonce out did herself this year, taking home Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Halo", Song of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for "At Last" and Best Contemporary R&B Album for "I Am... Sasha Fierce" making her the female record holder for most awards won in one night, at 6. Beyonce is an artist who is always on top of her game, and seems to find success in whatever she does.

After a short Hiatus, the Black Eyed Peas managed to make a huge comeback, resulting in their taking home Best Pop Vocal Album for "The E.N.D (Energy Never Dies)". I was glad to see that the group's popularity hadn't faded, but i was disappointed to see that they best out Pink's "Funhouse" Pink made an incredible comeback as well, and I feel as though since she is such an infulential artist, she should have been credited in some way.

I was also pleased to see that Lady GaGa took Best Dance Recording for "Poker Face" and Best Electronic / Dance Album for "The Fame". Lady GaGa took mainstream pop by storm when "Just Dance" became such a success on the pop charts even though it is considered a Dance track.

Eminem went on a hiatus in 2004, Eminem made a comeback with his, appropriately entitled "Relapse" It took home Best Rap Album, and its lead single "Crack a Bottle" featuring 50 Cent and Dr. Dre won best Rap Performance By a Duo/ Group.

"Run This Town" by Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West won Best Rap/ Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song. Due to the time frame in which the songs were released, it surprised me to see that "Run This Town" best out "Ego" by Beyonce featuring Kanye West, "Knock You Down" by Keri Hilson featuring Ne-Yo and Kanye West, and "Dead and Gone" by T.I. featuring Justin Timberlake.

Overall, I was pleased with the results if the night, and I feel as though the things I hate most about the music industry are slowly but surely fading away, and the things I love most are finally shining through all the clouds of the media.

MUSIC = LOVE, LOVE = LIFE, LIFE = GOD.

Class is Dismissed...... YES!!!

So our first song now has a title.... which is "Roll Call". We finally finished it yesterday, and even reached some new progress on our next song titled "Dedication". Once again, I'm exploring rapping as opposed to singing, and I'm actually starting to like it. I would never abandon my passion for vocal music, but rapping is something that i might consider making room for. Unfortunately, before the session was over, I had to leave the studio for another rehearsal. A very good friend of mine is doing a presentation on Praise & Worship for his graduation project, and invited me to sing. I've never been a person to deny the two things I love most [God and music respectively :)] no matter how busy I am. The presentation is tonight, so I'm trying my best not to talk much today in order to give my voice a break after last night's rehearsal. I think the whole process should be smooth sailing but I'm the the type who is always aware of those pesky little shortcomings, and tries to avoid them.

"Ok, Let's get with the school time. Let's get it over and done and get them diplomas"

So yesterday my new group in the Hip Hop on L.O.C.K. project finished our first song, which is currently referred to as "School Time", but a final title has not been confirmed. Recording it took me just a little out of my element, not only because it the subject matter wasn't something I was used to, but because I'm so used to being featured as a vocalist, as opposed to a rapper. Even though I wasn't feeling good, I got through the session, and did what I had to do for the sake of the group. We have already been invited to perform but we haven't decided if we're ready for the opportunity just yet. We've only been a group for a few months, so we have to get used to each other on stage before we are ready to be in front of people. Because we were such good friends before we formed Shinobi, with the help of the Hill House Association and Kassi Leadership Academy, we shouldn't have a hard time figuring each other out. I can't wait. Its been almost two yeas since I first entered the program through East Liberty Presbyterian Church's Hope Academy of the Arts,and gained my Bachelors in Hip Hop. and I've been itching to perform. My next step will be to start intense vocal training and then about two weeks before the Graduation i will put myself on a strict voice rest, eating mostly fruits, and drinking only tea and water. I have to be ready and give my best at all times, to be a success. You never know who will hear you or when, but you have to be prepared for your 15 minutes of fame. For all i know my career could depend on the next 16 weeks.

Crazy dreams, frightening thoughts, falling tears

Last nignt I had the craziest dream. I had completed my graduation project, and followed through with my action plan flawlessly , but I failed because I missed the day that I was supposed to present because I had to fly to Los Angeles. I had benn offered deal with Jive Records, and had to be in the city to start recording my debut album.

After I woke up I started to think about myself from a perspective that I rarely consider. I know that I am a student, and have been for my entire life, but I never actually think about myself as a student because its become the norm for me. I was wondering…..

Would I really drop everything, including my education if it mean a shot at the big time? I’m perplexed. Following my dream would be amazing, but its such a big risk to take. The entertainment industry is probably the least secure career choice to make but I don’t know that I, as a person, would have the courage to take such a risk. As these thoughts continue to run through my mind I’m not only in deep pondering, but deep fear.

The Hip Hop on L.O.C.K. project has taught me not only the ins and outs of the entertainment industry but about myself as an artist. My former group M.V.P. had a lot of successes in the year 2008 including several requests for performance airplay on WAMO 106.7 radio station. Hopefully this time around my new group, Shinobi, will have even more successes and become even more memorable than the Prodigious were. whichever way the cookie crumbles, I hope to get an even better understanding of the music business, and learn more about myself and the members of my group who I am also honored to call my friends. The project has given me the opportunity to do what i do best, and shine as a vocalist, but had also allowed me to explore being a rap artist, and learn more about the business realm in the music industry. It has also showed me that there is more to music than just pressing record. Being a raw talent and having had very little formal vocal training, showed me that walking into a studio requires more than talent. You have to be very attentive and well rounded in order to survive in the business. The thing that I've learned and value most is that you must always put your best foot forward and try your best never to rub anyone the wrong way.

Back to the Cradle!

So once again I’m spending most of I’m time in around or thinking about YaMomzHouse. That studio and things it has taught me since I first walked in the door has changed so much about me as an artist and I couldn’t be more grateful for it.

So for this long drawn out project, my action plan has been to write and record an original based on my findings on what the meter of success is in popular music. Thankfully now that I’m back in the Hip Hop on L.O.C.K project for round two, I can earn my Masters in Hip Hop and gain useful tools, killing two birds with one stone.. Hopefully the next two weeks will bring me successes and blessings for this project.

I think my next small step towards taking a bigger step will be to scan people from my generation and find out why they listen to the music they listen to and what they look for in a song. This might help me to get a better idea of what I should push for with my recording down the road.