My Life In Records

I really enjoy this record. It gave a better understanding of where I want to take my music. Not to mention 2008 is an awesome year for me, haha. My music is finally being heard and I'm finally being placed on the shelves with the heavy hitters at the age of 29. The fun starts now I guess. Either or, I'm with it. Peacers. kiki/k-the-i???

I was still feeling bad for myself due to a horrible break up not too long before I created my first Mush record (Broken Love Letter). The woman that was going to be my wife messed me up for years. At 27, I was ready to be done with lost emotions. Around this time I went heavy on the Broadcast band, like crazy (and still I'm Broadcast crazy). Part of the record influenced me to write the songs I wrote about my ex, well it made it easy to express, LOL. I loved her but she was a pain in the ass now that I look back.

What can I say??? During the time that this record came out, I was working for a record distribution in Boston Mass called LandSpeed Records. I would always play it loud in the warehouse and drive people up the wall, it was funny now I look back on it, hahaha. What an amazing record. Too bad my co-workers didn't like it as much as I did, hehe. This record made me look towards Mush for releasing music of mine back then, hahaha, and eventually I landed that very dream. Damn talking about it now is making me want to play the record, I even brought all the 7".

At the age of 17 towards the end of my four years of high school (1997), this record cured my appetite and extreme hunger for an abstract Hip Hop record. My wish was granted. This was something new and refreshing. I remember hearing the song 'The Fire In Which You Burn' for the first time on a local College radio station in Boston Mass called WERS 88.9 at Emerson College and nearly lost my mind when Dj Fakts One (MR LIF of Def Jux's dj) played it. Like is the beat even on beat, but oh are they even rapping on beat, with the beat being off beat, that baffled me and amazed me at the same time, ‘cause I was always making advance music but to see someone else doing it made it comfortable for me, and go figure... I ended being great friends with Bigg Jus from Company Flow. The funny thing is how I came across the album. I remember being in Tower Records and passing the the Acid Jazz section and seeing it, like hold on this is that group that Fakts played on WERS, I was confused with it's existence being in the Acid Jazz section. I still took a chance, put it in my discman heard the classic introduction to the record with that crazy sample: Since you're my special friend come closer for a special treat (Uh) I'm going to let you touch me in a special place (But I don't want to touch you there) It is never OK to touch someone else's private parts Your mom and dad will tell you so Then Bigg Jus comes in...... Your eyes get live like Tupac getting shot in a lobby Most MC's styles is robbery of my freestyles as a hobby I pick apart monkey brains and spread disease through hot zones My cameos on promos seem strange like someone's not home Bigg Jus the outsider rain on your dream field With styles so freaking wet niggas need maxi panty shields Expose more Moses out the closet that lead paint on your tenement Got more Black Thoughts in my Roots than most niggas got in their pigment To me this is still the illest set off lines to any record, haha.

When I was 15 there was an album that came out that completely changed my view of music and creativity and showed me not to be pigeon hold your art form. Whether it be music, or painting or any other artist craft that you may uphold. This record, critically acclaimed, newly invented, genre clashing extravaganza was known to the world as Portishead’s Dummy. As a Sophomore in High school, that seemed slightly different from my set of peers, this album described my life throughout each song and I instantly grew a new found fascination for other elements of music besides Rock / Punk / And Hip Hop. Basically I was always the black kid that listened to 'White music' whatever that meant, haha. Well at least that's what my friends told me, LOL. At that time I was dating this crazy white girl that was extremely gothic, and I mean gothic before being gothic was even an genre element or "cool" to be, haha. I have this thing where any girl I ever date I pick up a trait from them, well with this girl she attached a sense of loneliness and darkness in my life as well as confusion so to hear a record that based itself at the bottom of the emotion chart that seemed to still thump brightened up my day in an amazing way. I think that record changed my life totally, at least it was one of the records that had an impact of my early life. Man I remember her, my ex girl now, telling me to stop playing ‘Glory Box‘, and ‘Wondering Star‘, hahahaha, Stop it now Kiki, oh the memories, haha.

As a freshman. I was always into music that pushed more boundaries then expected, and at this point of my life Hip Hop was amazing but it was missing something, and I was searching for it. Out of no where, Bam!!!, Souls Of Mischief appeared and mangled my mind. It's just everyone from the east coast was dope, braggadocios but didn't add the swagger and complexity as these dudes, it was so different at the time. Come on I nearly lost my mind when I first heard the beat for ‘That's When You Lost’ the kill line go me ASAP, "I find it fun to smash emcees into fine bits" it was like they weren't afraid to be animated and say what they wanted, ‘cause you still would get the point, they just had other ways around it, hahahaha. I knew they really influenced me when I took a chunk of their cadence as a teenager. My friends from back east would always say that I sounded like Souls Of Mischief or Heiroglyphics (Del, Casual, Domino, Extra Prolific at the time, Pep Love and Souls of Mischief) since they all carried the same style swagger (dragging their last words to land at the beat differently and on point). It was an honor to me, though it was weird that my favorite group and crew was based out of California being that I was the east coast, Oh well, it was hard to deny. Oh and I had the limited edition blue cassette so I felt special, hehe.

10 years of living brought me to this point. Krs One is the teacher, even taught me and answered my questions before they were asked. As a fifth grader I was that overly curious kid and Krs's knowledge made it worse for my teachers in elementary school. I would question their integrity ’cause Krs was telling me that they were wrong. There was more substance, and truth to the matter expressed through his words. So thanks to Krs, I had tons of detention for asking questions like, are Moses and Jesus black???, 'Why Is That???" that song changed my views, for a minute.

I remember being slightly confused of my race, color and origin around this era. Due to the fact that Black Americans, or Black Men and or Woman in general were being ridiculed, it was ridiculous and shameful. This album made it clear to me who I was. As afro centric as the record was, it wasn't directly directed solely at the inner city youth in the ghetto. Screams of "Don't Believe the Hype" and "Show Em Whatcha Got" were shouted out my mouth daily. Listening to their music was somewhat of a guide to avoid certain mishaps life had to offer, and they taught me well. Not to mention who was really messing with the Bomb Squad??? Their beats made me want to hurt the innocent, and I wouldn't hurt a fly, haha.

It's a man's world??? I think not, especially when it's Mc Lyte that has something to say about it. Lyte proved back then not to be messed with. This woman clearly made an impact on me. Not only did I have a crush on her as a 9 year old, but her aggression and overall careless notion about the male controlled world gave me hope for the world's close minded view. Male chauvinism stood no chance. This helped me bask in the glory of reduced domination. This woman moved me. I would always tell my friends how I was going to marry her someday, haha. Sure I had no chance but you can't blame a brother for trying, I mean.... Hoping to marry / chase the girl of my dreams, furthermore the MC of my dreams.

As a 6 year old child I could remember watching, the ‘Don't Come Around Here No More’ video and almost losing it, ‘cause as good as the music was, the video destroyed my childhood. I mean come on, they do the Alice In Wonderland party, kidnap Alice, lay her on the table then perceives to carve into her like a cake, what child in 1985 didn't find that disturbing???, I mean really??? Though I must admit the man's genius shines ever so bright, now when I watch the video it makes more sense to me.