Me and my Concubine

As a child I was always quiet, perhaps too quiet. I never really said much but my expressive eyes said more than I was able to. It wasn't that I was shy, on the contrary, I was merely in a phase of absorption. I was soaking in the world around me. And as we all know, the world is a tremendously large and complex place. This was to ready me for what I was to become. Not 'become' in the conventional sense, because so often, when we refer to what a person is or isn't, it's in regards to their academic record, accomplishments and their eventual occupation. What I'm referring to isn't a job. It's a calling. I truly believe that imprinted in each one of us, is the potential to occupy a niche in the Universe. This may not be predetermined, but it's certainly an undeniable pull. This is what I'm speaking of. An 'law of attraction', if you will. It captured me at an early age, but I wasn't entirely sure; 1) what to do with it and 2) what exactly it was. So it lie dormant for years. Until I heard enough music and my instincts took over.

I would hum ceaselessly to any melody and rhythm and tap it out with my fingers and toes. My eyes would dart back and forth in time with the music as would a composers masterfully attuned hands would when leading an orchestra. I would find my love for reading and the written word, this would lead me to poetry and subsequently, to hip hop.

What people mistake for a song is truly my attempt to take words and transform them into ideas that are representative of colors and emotions. Yes, I said color. We associate emotions with color. Red is considered passionate, purple is regal and pristine, yellow is vibrant and alive. Music is just another way we communicate and I've used my words and voice as instruments to portray a scene, a picture and most importantly a feeling. I, of course, am not a great novelist or playwright, but just an observer, able to interpret what I see and feel into rhyming verse and relay that into song-form.

So often we're bombarded with someone else's interpretation of what music is or what it 'should be'. But, what they're remiss in telling the listener is; ultimately, YOU decide what is or what isn't music. It is a journey of discovery that leads you to something that sounds 'true' to you. The more passionate, dedicated and honest the artist, the more likely the music is to resonate with the listener. I try with every song to bring a certain standard in with entertainment. Trying to strike this balance isn't always easy and sometimes, I find myself sacrificing style for substance. But, I've always thought if you were to tip the scales, the latter would supersede the former.

The more music I hear, the more I'm convinced that I've got a seed inside of me. And it's nurtured and grown by absorbing melodies, rhythms and schemes. I hope that, in my labors I'm able to connect with at least a small percentage of my listeners and give them the same feeling of accomplishment and pure enjoyment I get from making art. Because, that is what I strive to create.

Not for profit, not for mass consumption and not even for approval. It's simply something I feel I'm predisposed into doing and couldn't do anything better. So, it's a gift that I've decided should be shared and hopefully, appreciated. If I walk away with one or two listeners feeling, at least, the least bit enriched by my work. I've done my job and I know that all that I do is worth it.