The Sky Is Not The Limit

I don't know where I first heard the quote, "The sky is the limit". I know that its SUPPOSED to mean that nothing can stop you from reaching your dreams, but I personally don't like to use this saying because the sky is a very limited space. If I'm working hard against all odds, I don't want anybody telling me that the sky is the limit! If that's the case, just give me a box the size of a chili cheese fry container from the best coney island in Detroit (if you don't say Nicky D's or Grady's then you BETTER be thinking Universal Coney island on 94 & Chalmers) and tell me to park my car in it. Sounds crazy right? So don't sit there and tell me to dream big but cram it in a limited space!

My limit is beyond the sky. The sky is just where I sit so that I may catch a good view every now and then. The sky isn't the limit, your imagination is. I feel so strongly about the title of this post that the next time I hear a person say it, I may say to them, "Don't be a hater!" I don't want another person to tell me that the sky is the limit anymore because the way I feel about it, I've heard it and believed it so any times before that thats probably the reason why I am where I am in life and not further along, but we'll save that for another day. 

I'm not trying to preach but let me just say that we all know that one person who is ok with limiting their beliefs, limiting their faith, which in turn puts a limit on themselves and the possibilities of their outcome. People are this way and that is perfectly fine! If you are content and satisfied, then you have fulfilled your purpose. For some people the sky IS the limit and they are alright with that. but i'm not. For me, there is no limit. Me believing that the sky is the limit would ultimately limit my imagination- which is not the best option for me, a person who creates their whole life and career...

I say all this to say, challenge yourselves to dream without limits! When you dream a dream that you believe in, you become responsible in getting the work done. Create a process and get to work! I don't believe in impossible. Somethings may take a while, but all things are possible so long as you don't ignore what it is that you must do. When you dream, dream higher than the sky and deeper than the ocean. 

Touch The Sky

Here is the link of the song that resonates with this post. I was glad to be able to reach artist and drummer Wes and share some vibes. Super dope drummer, this particular song is off Got My Own Sound's first album, but truth is that they have a new album out and its fire. Wes gave me the ok to post a universal link to the song. If you're looking for some new heat, check out Wes Watkins web site https://www.gotmyownsound.com/bio One drummer to another, I respect that man because he WORKS. 

The drum is a circle. That being the case, I support all my drummers who are part of what I call " The Collective". The collective is basically all the musicians in the world who exist to create and share the message of Love. We believe in the importance of encouraging others. We are students and teachers of life. We believe music makes this world a better place and we dedicate our lives to that.

Don't limit yourself to the sky when there are galaxies among galaxies. Take the limits off!

Peace.

Sankofa!

I AM PROUD TO BE BLACK! So with a smile on my face and all the pride in my heart, let me say Happy Black History Month! As I was meditating, the word Sankofa dropped deep within my spirit and I began writing this blog. So as I am in this natural flow, I will share with you what we should all consider this to be as an African Heritage appreciation post. Peace!

Sankofa is a word of the Akan tribe and language. The Akan people live in separate lineage villages in Ghana, Africa. The most DISTINGUISHED respect of the Akan belief is that there must be tribal UNITY and morality. A part of the Akan tribes legacy is what we all know and appreciate as the Kente cloth, and throughout history, the Akan people are known to bring wealth to each state that they occupied by mining gold, producing materials and by trading cash crops.

The Akan tribe Is a very corporate group with its own identity, group solidarity, exclusive property and symbols, one of which is Sankofa. The word is derived from San: Return, Ko: Go, Fa: Look, Seek and Take. In translation, Sankofa literally means to retrieve. But there is an Akan proverb that a mentor of mine told me, "Se wo were fi na wosankofa a yenkyi" which translates to "it is not taboo to fetch what you forgot". The Sankofa symbol is a mythical bird with its feet planted firmly forward, with its head turned backwards to retrieve a seed. This symbol serves to what the Akan people believe; the past serves as a guide for planning the future. It is the wisdom learned from the past that ensures a strong future. To know history and your heritage is to know your current self, the world around you, and how to better both.

Sankofa is inspirational in activism and art and I believe that its message is beneficial to people no matter your background. For me, experience is always the best teacher. What did you experience in 2021 that had an affect on you one way or another? How did it affect you? What can you gather from that experience? Did you learn anything new about yourself?  How do you predict that it will impact you moving forward?

Your Future Depends On Your Higher Self

Does something that you want or need in your life seem impossible? Do you believe that it actually is? If your answer is “maybe” or “yes”, this is because you are not navigating through your life and it’s struggles with enough clarity! 

Regardless of what is happening in or around your life, YOU are the creator of your own reality. You must find time to quiet the noise around you to connect with the inner most part of yourself! Some call this meditation. Whatever you want to call it, the point is to come to the point of self realization and transformation from impossible to possible! All it takes is to sit still. Although meditation and breath work can make you more comfortable and less distracted, it is not always needed to find a connection with yourself.

You must seek and find yourself because it is the journey that will reward you the most! Your highest self holds your future and you must communicate with it openly and be well aquatinted with this as it is the deepest part of who you are. There is no “split between yourself and your higher self”. But you can be disconnected from your higher self. I call that disconnection vibrating at a low frequency. Some of us have been vibrating at low frequencies throughout our entire lives and didn’t even know it. I call the moment that you make the realization that you’ve been vibrating at a low frequency and you develop understanding of why, a sort of an “awakening”. Self realization. After you reach a point of self realization, you begin to really do some soul searching because you desire change. You begin seeking your higher self. Your dreams, your wisdom, your intuition, your inspiration, your creativity, the way to go about accomplishing goals, are all a part of your higher self. Your higher self is deep. It guides you. It makes you whole. It is eternal.

We were not created to be victims. We were created to be victorious! We were not created to be powerless. We were created to be powerful, and so is every connection that you make with your higher self in mind. You don’t have to give power to anything that does not serve the greatness within you. BE FREE! You have the power to understand and overcome the obstacles that hold you to a victim mind state. It is up to you to to elevate yourself above the circumstances and the struggles that weigh you down. When you become aware of how to elevate your mind, you begin to augment and change your reality. You find purpose and begin to spend the rest of your life finding exactly what that purpose is. This is one of the greatest journeys we can embark on!

Live life on purpose. Do what matters to you and is in alignment with your values and what you believe. Nobody can tell you what that is for you. It is something you must feel. Being in alignment with your higher self is being sure of yourself, even if you are scared. The answer to who you are is inside of yourself. Pay attention to what makes you feel alive. When you are on this journey of soul searching, you have to understand that it’s not about whether people understand your mission or not. Trust yourself. It’s not about what other people think of it. Self belief and confidence are majorly important. If you haven’t done any true soul searching, you may feel blocked or confused and thats ok. You have to continue practicing connecting with yourself and unburying and unpacking yourself. I find journaling a  helpful way to do this.

You have to be motivated to make the changes that you want to see in your life. It can be really scary or painful to unpack yourself  but you have to feel the fear or pain and step forward anyway. If you are uncomfortable, that is a sign that there is a breakthrough and a change happening. Fear and pain cannot rule your life or actions unless you allow it to. You feel afraid? Unsure of yourself? Does it hurt? Take action anyway! 

Check in with yourself. Every single day. Ask yourself what is important. Practice tuning in to yourself. During this time let go of the outside world. You need time just for you! At least 15 minutes to sit still, journal about things that you need to get off your chest. Realize that this is a time to set your mind free. A world that you are creating for yourself.  Aligning with your higher self means creating new habits and getting rid of the patterns that you’ve had that didn’t contribute to the greatness inside of you.

You have everything that you need, and everything that you need that hasn’t arrived, believe that its on its way to you! Working toward the right thing is always worth it, even if its hard. The work that you do today creates the tomorrow that you dream about. You are the creator of your own life and it is impossible to fail at being you.

Peace, friend.

Artist Developement

First of all, lets address the fact that chasing music as a career is absolutely tough and takes a resilient, strong person who can stand to have some patience and tough skin! The music industry IS NOT set up to be EASY. so if you are looking  for a career that is already mapped out for you and has a freaking gps attached to your instrument/ talent, then you need to choose a different career, because the music industry is very frustrating and difficult to navigate through..... If you thought that I was going to write a blog to make you feel like music is so peachy and easily gratifying then you thought wrong. I'm gonna give it to you straight, no chaser. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, lets understand the next thing: artist development and music branding is something that you NEED to spend a lot of time on if you want to be anybody in the industry because it is essential to your career's solidarity. Having the talent is only part of what it takes to make it in the cut throat industry of music. It is important to have knowledge of the music business,  and if you don't have a artist development plan, it will eventually show.

Have I "made it" in the industry? Well no, I am still on my way to making a solid name for myself within the music industry, but in this climb through the trenches I have learned what I HAVEN'T been doing and what I should've been doing, I've made solid connections there, formed relationships, made connections, I have seen, studied and learned a lot professionally through first hand experience (the best teacher) and from my educators, mentors, other artists, musicians and producers that have and are continuously making a name for themselves throughout the industry of music. One thing that is sure is this: there is no escaping coming up with an artist development plan for yourself! It may seem very intimidating and tough to get started or finish, but PLEASE KNOW that as an unsigned or independent artist, you MUST have an artist development plan. 

I personally have a rather holistic approach to music. Ever since my high-school years, I've gotten broken promises from people, telling me what they can and will do to benefit me and my professional career, telling me that they've got what it takes to "take my career to the next level". HA!!! man... I've been hearing THAT for so long. I've been hitting out here (not including the number of YEARS I spent playing in church) since about 2012 and while I like working with a team vs alone, I've realized that u HAVE to be prepared to have your OWN vision and be ready to do MOST (If not ALL) the work yourself, with or without a team.

What is artist development?

"Artist Development is the process any musician goes through to develop their craft and skills necessary to build a professional career in the music industry. This means everything from voice, songwriting, image and branding, music and video production, live performance, marketing and social media." - The Music Vault Academy

Here is what I suggest that every new artists and musician who decide to make music more than just a talent and hobby should do:

Practice every day. 

Take lessons, get a coach and train weekly with someone who knows what it takes to be the best. Someone who can give sound advice and strengthen your weaknesses. Take time to REALLY hone in on developing your talent! Especially if you play an instrument, spend at least 20 minutes with your instrument a day. The more time that you dedicate to your playing, the better. Take it from someone who wishes that they could practice ALL DAY. lol.... If you can't spare more time to practicing for whatever the reason, at least spend that same a mount of time studying or learning SOMETHING. A lot of times I study my favorite musicians, listen to music, watch interviews, performance videos, or read transcriptions of music whenever I not able to sit at my drums and play. The point is to spend actual time growing holistically in music. Feed your brain and your body music and set goals for yourself.  

Define your identity as an artist.

Ok, ok, ok.... I know most creatives don't like to feel boxed in. Most artist don't want to be "defined". But who you are is not isn't the extent of your artist identity, so you have to sort out the details on a deeper level with yourself for the people who love your work. It may help to look at defining what your identity is as an artist as a way to create an extra layer of who you actually are as a person. To create an extension of yourself... The truth is, even if you make the best music as an artist, you will burn if your persona is trash. That is straight facts. You lose out on connecting with very important people. Your artist identity should include your attitude, style, your sound and your appearance. The worth of artist identity is to truthfully exist in the world through what makes you distinctively different- your brand. Defining your identity will make you more distinguished and make you both respected and sought after for what you do and how you do it. I will list what I think is valuable when considering the development of the artist:

Background.

Nobody gets to decide how they enter this world, who they're born to or how they are raised, but it is a part of who we are and have a part in our artistry anyway. What was unique about your childhood, hometown and your family? What about it makes you different from other people? What did you learn? How you were raised? What has your artistic journey been like thus far? Have you made career moves? What music could you play and never get tired of? When did you first become aware that you were creative? what was the medium? How did you expand your learning? Did you have any teachers, outlets, mentors? What or who are your influencers artistically?

Merit.

The way that you respond to life experiences and circumstances reflect your merit. What experiences have you had in life that made you a stronger person? What bad habits did you have that you have corrected? In what ways did that impact your life? 

Poise.

The reason why some artist have more impact than other artists is simply because of their style. Composure. The approach in the way they do it...  Poise should be greatly considered because you began to learn how to continue working and knocking down goals, even if it is brutally difficult. You learn how to make the hardest times of your life look easy.

A good way to begin developing your artistry is by reflecting your poise, merit and background in your work. Be you. Let it ooze out of your work. It takes courage and bravery to be an artist! Embrace who you are. As you develop and learn more about yourself as an artist, work on your unique brand. Be creative! Explore who you are and what you feel bit-by-bit, creating sound and images based off of these things, keeping your brand in mind. This is what makes you you and this is what will give your audience something to relate to and expect.

I want this blog to contribute to being like a revolving door for people who feel stuck, lost, uninspired and looking for more, and searching for "the way".... Peace to your journey.

-Chop suey

The Love Collective

I was waken up by someone firing shots in the neighbor hood (on the West side) It had to had been just a few blocks away! About 5 gun shots, then all u could hear was ppl running and screaming like hell! About a minute later, 4 gunshots were fired from a different gun and even more screaming. I didn't hear a single siren. Not even an hour later. Just screams and cries of devastation.

I am now wide awake. And... A bit sensitive, because. well.... Certain things will probably always bother me.

I grew up in Detroit. East Seven mile. The hood. Even though we (my brother, sister and I) grew up in the hood and was told to stay away from the windows (paranoid that we'd get hit by stray bullets during neighborhood brawls) I'm glad my mother and my father didn't raise me to hate, even though it was right there in our environment. They REALLY protected us from the outside world when we were children... They never suggested or subjected us to violence. They wouldn't allow us to understand the ways of the streets and they kept us in a straight line! Never wanted us to believe in the terrifying life or way of any Street corner. They feared and STILL fear of us being a victim to the violence and hate of the streets/world.

I hated how I was raised. 😂 Seriously! I did not like having this long list of things that I could and couldn't do! I thought my parents were mean and didn't want me to have fun at all! 🙅 it was always church, church, church!!! 😂 Couldn't play with the kids in the neighborhood or at school, couldn't wear the cool clothes or listen to the cool music. But as I grew into adulthood.... Well... I think REALLY began to understand their intent. More and more each day, I'm grateful for the love that they displayed, the safety and protection that they offered me and my siblings, and the care that they gave us. That trump's over the bad (and there have been some rough times) that we've endured as a family. one of the best parts about having family that you love and being is that I can do what I want and make my own decisions without feeling bad about it anymore. I'm just glad that we are continually learning how to love each other regardless of personal lifestyles, images and decisions! That turned out better than I expected.

I wrote this blog because I am a lover. I am a creator. A dreamer.

Sometimes I close my eyes and I imagine that the world some day, somehow let love and hard work be the only premise of the story. That everyone worked together to be well, to live well, to teach, to build, to contribute to world hunger, and save the planet and the youth. My day dreams look like shit on a stick after reality kicks in. I feel weighed down after imagining such things then struggling to see the possibility in these things ever happening. Along our journey we are collectively faced with warfare, violence, controlled by the government and the powerful, we face discrimination and hate...I try to imagine a world where people who don't agree on the same things or do things the same way could STILL LIVE and THRIVE IN THE SAME COMMUNITIES AND ENVIRONMENTS TOGETHER SUCCESSFULLY, PEACEFULLY AND JOYFULLY. The fortunate thing about having to go through some things to get some place in life is that it builds character, makes you wiser, less ignorant, stronger, resilient and inspiring. 

I don't believe in the impossible. I believe that one collective can change the way we love, the way we live and the way things are seen and done, for the better. Forever. I am a part of that collective. People that I associate with are a part of that collective. 

Agape

In my heart and soul, I believe that we were created so that we may know, recieve and display love. I want it. Always. I crave love in the deepest capacity's. Love is beautiful. The kind of love without sexual implocations. The kind of selfless love that knows all about sacrifice. The love that is delighted in doing. A kind and benevolent kind of love.

"Loves capacity goes beyond the normal. It moves beyond self. Its capacity pushes through and beyond any struggle."  Anthony Gainey Sr.

We get caught up in this mondane, day-to-day living, struggling or way of existing and sometimes just get lost deep inside the darkness of ourselves, neglecting everyone and everything else. In that, we have neglected a tremendous obligation. Our job is to bring ppl closer to love. Ppl in the world have been misguided about love or have suffered and avoided love because of pain inflicted by others. There are ppl who avoid love or don't act out of love, even to those closest to them because of hate, because of childhood neglect, abuse, and so much more.... There are innocent ppl, who desire to feel love, and fantisize or imagine about what it could be, how it could possibly feel or what it may look like, but do not know much about love at all...... How can they who dont know what love is, display love? How can one save anything worth saving, heal amy inflicted pain or reach out to someone in pain or another to reconcile anything without possessing love or knowing what love is?

-Nobody can love better than the ultimate creator. We were carefully made. The world was intrinsicly crafted with love to keep us alive, so that we may be fruits of love, producing more fruit. Nothing can separate THE LOVE THAT THE CREATOR HAS FOR YOU. NOTHING!!!!

Look all around u. The next time u take ur next breath, sort ur butt on the toilet without pain or much struggle, when u step outside your doorstep and u look into the sky, the next moment that u feel the breeze and u see the trees moving with the wind, take that as a sign of the purest, most natural and greatest love ever known and get to know what THAT love REALLY is.

Selah.

Cracking The Shell of The World

"It sometimes happens
that the woman you meet and fall in love with
is of that strange Transylvanian people
with an affinity for cats.

You take her to a restaurant, say, or a show,
on an ordinary date, being attracted
by the glitter in her slitty eyes and her catlike walk,
and afterwards of course you take her in your arms
and she turns into a black panther
and bites you to death.

Or perhaps you are saved in the nick of time
and she is tormented by the knowledge of her
tendency:
That she daren't hug a man
unless she wants to risk clawing him up."

-Edward Field, 1967 (Curse of The Cat Woman)

I love this poem. This poem gives a cinematic visualization to the reader. Its like being at the movies, except its u reading poetry.

- In fact, what is so cool and inspiring about this poem is that it brought to me the realization of how u can take one particular piece of art in one for, and make into another. This brings me joy because it helps me to see how infinate art is and it opens me up to the mountains and valleys of creativity that at one ppint I've only believed existed, but now I can actually see myself traveling the path.

I wont take up to much time vibing to heavily, publically about all the things i am experiencing, but i will say that being in a place spiritually, and allowing God to make me into who i am destined to be artistically, has allowed me to view things differently. I mean... putting real life into an artistic perspective has changed my artistry for the better! My Artistic Perspective is developing.

I would like to say for the record, that I am an Artist. I know that formally, people only know me as a drummer, and i want to apologize in advance for any frustration that that may cause any artist who calls them selves wanting to be creative with me, but wants me to only do as they say. - I apologize in advance for u feeling that i would only want to displease u for your own lack of discovery.

I want my legacy to be as - that artist, that musician who is a "House Within a House"- an artist creating forms of art that have a certain collective of charicteristics. Something of insight that is dramatized by showing the conflict between what is ordinarily seen, and ordinarily understood, also imcorporating my imagined future- my "secret place" of yearning for the things in my life that are real and not real, existing together. - i want my audiance to visualize this, whatever form of art it becomes manifested of, i wamt the audience to experience all of these things as real life.