Moving Upon the Face of the Deep

A deep title, deserves a deeper explanation....don't you think? This show, curated by Je´ Hooper & Michele Stanback Hooper at the majestic Union Theological Seminary in Harlem, New York was nothing short of inspiring and spectacular. I promise I'm not just saying that because I was the finale act of the show. I was however, am, I should say, honored to have been among a roster of such powerful performances. Full of riveting and passionate musical acts, poets, dancers and orators, it was jam packed with talent. 

Thursday, April 26, 2015, 

a memorable day and one of the best thus far.

So the first order of business was the premier of the "Shaman" music video, (it was also shot there if you guys remember) and it was spectacular. Care to take a short break from reading? Take a gander at the video below:

Then to add insult to injury, Dr. Cornel West is endorsing the record and music video and the movement itself as he shares empowering words about moving upon the face of the deep. I'm sure I cannot be the only person who's hero is is....check it out below. The music video follows, but you needed to see it again anyway :)

And the last segment of the VLOG as this seems (haha), you can check out the behind the scenes of the music video. I always like watching the making of something, especially something great.

Take a look....don't worry, I'll wait ;-)

And I guess that about sums it up! I am excited to be a part of such a powerful movement, especially as a leader of it. There is no better time to create a platform for meaningful and impactful music. We will talk soon. I promise. Stay blessed yall. It's the best way to keep from being defeated.

keep it LIVE for a change!

so last night, was my first show of 2015. it was....in a word....incredible. not because of me (thank you, no really thank you) but because of the energy in the room. the artists support of one another was priceless. i was the finale act....while i would have been flattered, my 7 hour wait time to perform kinda diminished some of my excitement. thankfully, poignant words in a record can always bring me to life. so i was able to bring it home in the midst of my fatigue because of great records.

i want to send a shout out to GREAT MUSIC. see, i don't always use caps, but when i do, they matter. just like lives. just like music. i am proud to create meaningful music that can transform the atmosphere in a room full of people but also minister directly to an individual in solitude. it's something i am more grateful for every day. so without further adieu, i will give you a still, video will be coming soon i'm sure; edits and such from the video folks. until then, celebrate great music with ya girl. #musiclives #greatmusic

Furthermore, "Shaman" is now available on iTunes featuring TruthCity (my lil bro) who is a lyrical mastermind and genius in his own right. seriously tho. He is. So, show your support of great music, music with a cause, meaningfulness and just overall change. It's a doller folks. How many life-changing investments can you make with a buck? (no not a deer, the other one you generally toss out to buy something high in fructose with). Don't worry, I'll wait.

til next time. the green haired bandit. singing off. 

(did you catch it?) <insert smirk>

you asked.

i suppose this blog is as much documentation for me as it is entertainment for you. so, i have been asked this week an alarming amount of times how everything is going! well everything includes a lot, so we will focus on music for now. 

saturday, i shot my first music video for the latest release "Shaman" feat. TruthCity. it was nothing short of wonderful. a beautiful breakfast spread, incredible people who arrived prompt and we covered a LOT of ground in a short amount of time. through the kindness of Je Hooper and Dean Yvette Wilson i was allowed to utilize the beautiful James Chapel in the majestic Union Theological Seminary. i could go on about how much of a blessing Je has been in the pursuit of greatness regarding this record, but for the sake of time i will not. not now anyway. but, the video was a success. 

the next day, i completed a photo shoot for my upcoming "official" radio record...i won't release the name yet. but you already know it's a doozie. (hee hee) i will also show you a pic once all the preliminaries are taken care of.

the following day was monday and i had meetings all day and tuesday was the interview with Scott Randall, columnist for The Source Magazine, EarMilk and Complex Magazine. yes, i along with my partner in crime, music, were the topics of discussion. it was fantastic. there's one image i will happily show you! i know how visual you are :).

Cerebral, respectively.

it's all good. it's been years since i've blogged. *sigh* and the original blog i started was taken over by another company blah blah and basically, i'm starting anew. nothing wrong with that though right? so let's establish some house rules...yes? ok.

1. first, i type in all lowercase letters. so when something is capitalized, it means something.

2. secondly, this blog is called "soul of a songwriter"...also the name of the album i will be releasing at some point. i have always been a nomad, a vagabond in its purest since. you, friends and observers are along for the journey. the journey where my soul gets to unleash it's innermost and poignant thoughts. no judgement. that was it. after all of that, the "no judgement" part was actually the 2nd ground rule. pardon the suspense.

3. thirdly, attention deficit disorder is real people. i am diagnosed with it. you don't want it. i can be random. be mindful. you can pick any of those short ones and make whichever is the most relevant [to you] the 3rd house rule. i said ground before didn't it? but....well we will use house and ground interchangeably for this purpose. ok. no judgement i said! thank you.

nice to meet you. no really, the pleasure is all mine. the fact that you want to read my thoughts is very flattering. i appreciate you for taking the time :). so this is just going to be my introduction...back on the blog scene. mojo reinstated. i will type something with a more pressing subject beyond the house/ground rules we disclosed moments ago. because i definitely have something pressing on my mind. but i'm gonna get to that later. i know it was a fragment. i did it because i have a poetic license on my blog and i can. this isn't a rhetorical analysis you know? and you're not my high school sophomore ap english teacher. i've already passed that exam. and i am a published songwriter, so i can say stuff. that may be outta order, as long as it resonates with someone. might not be you, but you're not the only person reading this now are you? that wasn't a literal question, i meant that sarcastically. quite, even.

anyway, enjoy today :). it was given to you . don't be ungrateful.