"Papa", For Fathers Day

Here's a song for fathers day in honor of the crazy men who raise or at least contributed to our genetic make up. For better or for worse, they contribute to who we are, and without them we wouldn't be here. Existing at all is a great opportunity, no matter what challenges we face. So, thanks Papa. You've given me everything. Even if at times it's been more than I'd care for. No regrets, just gratefulness.

My dad's story isn't always pleasant or fun to talk about, but it's his story and it's part of mine. This is a piece dealing with a lot of the darker shades of my family's history, with moments of great light. While his struggle continues, as does that of my family, I always look to the light and urge us all to grow beyond our history, make our lives our own and to find peace.

My Papa is hilarious, adventurous and a consummate smart ass. These are traights I'm proud to have taken from him. I sing this song as a sort of catharsis but also as a prayer for his powerful light and for my family as a whole. I also sing this in honor of him and in thanks for my life. Gracias, Papa.

Here's to all our Father's this Fathers' Day, and to all the sons and daughters who have the ability to take who their parents, forefathers and ancestors are and were, to the next level.

Thanks for reading, listening and thinking.

"who built this house, Frank Lloyd WRONG?!"

Happy Birthday, Frank Lloyd Wright! 

(June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959)

"the greatest American architect of all time", American Institute of Architects

 A Midwestern man with a plan... a Floor plan. But really, I find a lot of poetry in the works of this great WI born, Midwest wandering, architect. So much so, that I liken a lot of my work as a hip hop artist, as a person and even as a visual artist in a way, to his approach to architectural design. The idea of building in light to your structure, building in concert with, not over nature and detailing a thematic structure from the inside out. Those are big ideas and fine principles, and I think they're applicable to all aspects of art and life.

I could go on and on, in fact, I did...I wrote a song by his name on my latest album, Architextual Design. Produced by my brother Nye, It's a sort of frenetic, shamanic dream where his principles in architecture become laws of nature to reveal my ideals on art, education, community and spirituality. You should listen and enjoy it a thousand times over, and LOUD. Bump it through the summer streets.

Top ten things to do when the world HASN'T ended

in no particular order:

1. Stop being such an asshole.
2. Apologize to your boss and ask for your old job back.
3. Buy a new bike.
4. Go camping.
5. Make plans; lots of plans.
6. Travel at any cost.
7. (2 for 1) Keep recycling and contribute to a community organization.
8. Renew your membership to public radio.
9. Apologize to anyone you may have terrified with the news of our horrifying, imminent end.
10. Leave your crazy-ass church.

Number one thing to not do:
At all costs, DO NOT wait around a few more months for the world to end again.

Saturday's Forecast: DOOM

SO, a lot of folks think the world is ending...again. They even have paid advertising for it this time. I saw it off the train in DC this past weekend ("you mean the nations capitol has adds for Armageddon?" yes, not quite billboards). People are quitting their jobs and selling their homes. Shit is a little bonkers. What I'm really interested in though, is how are these individuals truly preparing themselves for the apocalypse besides judging and damning the rest of us on the way to the E.N.D.?

THE WORLD IS SICK. I'm not talking figuratively, spiritually or morally. Which it is, but that's a whole other thing. Our Earth is physically sick in a way that I'm not sure we've seen before, not all at once anyway and not at such frequency. I understand the concern. Everything must end. It's naive to think otherwise. Do I think the world is ending this weekend? no, but who knows? Not me and not any "ebiblefellowship.com" (By the way, that's .COM not .ORG).

GET OVER IT, move forward. What are these dreamers of living nightmare preaching to the masses that could possibly help anyone through the end times? Now I'm talking spiritually. What spiritual value does preaching death and despair have for so called believers in eternal life? What compassion is there in painting signs of hopelessness?

WHETHER OR NOT THE WORLD IS ENDING THIS WEEKEND OR EVER, OR HOWEVER, WHETHER IT'S THE LAST BATTLE  BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL, GIANT METEORS OR A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, WE HAVE A LOT OF CRAZY SHIT TO DEAL WITH BEFORE WE LEAVE as a human race and as individuals. The question is how are we living in the spaces we interact with? And what spiritual, intellectual or emotional impact are we having on the people around us? If energy can never be destroyed, what electromagnetic imprint are we leaving in the wake of our life experience?

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, where will you be when you go? Hugging your mom? Making your neighbor laugh? Masturbating on on the couch? playing video games? Regretting some bullshit argument? Smiling about how you've interacted with the world around you?

IN THE END, YOU MAY BE YOUR HARSHEST JUDGE. In what ways are you contributing to the world that you can be proud of when it all flashes before your eyes?

busy producer man/busy performer man: reflections of April

As always, I've been keeping busy. Coming off of the production of Guante's "Concious Is Not Enough 2011" free mixtape and ongoing production of "Heidi Barton Stink's new album (lots of new work here! verses, beats, and more and more great songs from this invigorating collaboration), I hit April with a bunch of shows and speaking engagements.

the 7th: Heidi Barton Stink's Birthday Double Rainbow show at Cause with a slew of good people and performers. CHECK. It was pretty awesome. Felt really good about my set and had a lot of fun seein' Heidi roll out some of the new pieces we're working on for her latest and greatest album coming out later this year.

the 16th: Upward Bound/Trio SJ Conference at Normandale - CHECK. Keynote and workshop WENT SPECTACULARLY. Met some brilliant students who had a lot fun and really ran with the workshop material. It was beautiful to connect with a room of some 700 brown students and to have the chance to facilitate a more intimate workhop afterward.

ALSO the 16th: Equilibrium at The Loft; CHECK. Wow. Just a truly special event. Best spoken word event I've been to in a seriously long time, if not ever. CLASSIC, really. Packed house and just bursting with top notch people and poetry. I'm so honored to have been a part of it. I presented some new work (a poem) mashed up with rap and song. I was feelin' it to say the least. Bao Phi curates poetry events like the finest mixtapes.
EQ: Spoken Word at the Loft presents Tomás Riley and Sham-e-Ali Nayeem

the 21st-23rd: Patrick's Cabaret with Dameun Strange as our other worldly duo Strange Perspective at the The Somewhat Sci-Fi Variety Show - CHECK. We had a blast with these artists! SO many fun, clever, smart acts. Some weird stuff too, but we love it. The dance was phenomenal. Dameun and I got all theatrical and even enlisted the help of some of the dancers to help coordinate a ring of fire so to speak, timed with our performance. Many thanks to all the artists and most of all Arturo Miles who organized the whole thing.

the 30th: at Capitol Hill Magnet/Rondo Elementary. Lead the closing ceremony for this great day of service, social justice and open dialog with reflective questions and performance. Good, and kinda shy group of kids. Proud of the ones who stood up and spoke to their inspiration and the things that matter to them about their experience. A good handful represented well and I felt great about our interaction and the time I had to contribute to their learning and whole event. Big Ups to Larry Lucio and Youthrive.
PEACE JAM

nobody sleeps tonight

New from the Boombox Emporium (a monthly free music series featuring brand new material and monster collaborations):


BIG UPS TO EVERYONE WHO SENT IN PICS FOR THE ARTWORK!

A lot of incredible and horrifying things happen every day all around the world. So much change, catastrophe, epiphany, joy...and despite the lull of the daily trudge, people do feel it. We dream of it, daydream about it or just stay up at night, wondering why we can't get to sleep. Maybe we get depressed and don't know why, maybe we misplace our frustrations...Something's wrong. Conversely, something electric is in the air. Excitement, wonder, nervous energy. There is opportunity; indeed, there is also despair. What will I focus on? how will I channel my feelings around it? How can I face tomorrow? How the hell am I going to get to sleep?

The latest from my collaboration with Dameun Strange, as Strange Perspective, doesn't necessarily answer these questions, but swims in them, as we often do when disaster strikes or we feel the rift of some unknown revelation uncoil beneath the surface. This is electronic, bass heavy, jungle style hip hop. It's hard and kinetic. It's also smooth, melodic and catchy. The concept lives in every snare, high hat, rhythm and cadence. It's frenetic and courses the listeners ears for answers, hope, a little peace and finds the people who give a damn.

ps- the artwork features photos from face book friends who sent in pictures of themselves not being able to sleep, and because of this, are immortalized. :)

pps- the art kinda looks like a curled up catepillar doesn't it?

Haiku series

Little know fact: I Love Haiku. Reading and/or writing. Here's a few I dug up for you to chew on.

waking up:

we met and slept some.
woke up from our nap like, "whoah!"
new insomniacs... 

Three about being genuine:

it's just so easy,

laugh in the face of a smile.

effortlessly share.

allow openess

and be rewarded with sky.

fall UP into chance.

without defenses,

sincere cuddles possible.

between them, a lasting bridge. 

for sleepers:

she awoke at dusk

as day lamented away.

his smiles became moons.

Two called offering:

realized sum'n.

any spark between us could

set the world ablaze.

if moment would hold

I could step inside and give

you the greatest gift.

on pleasing others:

can't do the right thing,

can't do the wrong thing either.

It works or doesn't.

on letting go:

Epiphany woke

as sun whispered through curtains,

"you just don't owe them".