Remember that line from the classic Pink Floyd song "Another Brick In The Wall"? Great song, I'm sure teachers and school systems across the country were crunging when that song became a hit. Not only because of the double negative that is used ("Don't need No"), but because of the implications of the lyrics
We don't need no education
We dont need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone!
People will read into this song in any number of ways, but the idea that some teachers (and systems) attempt to strip children of their free will or free thought through crappy teaching methods was a powerful statement. I now hae to view education systems from three points of view: as a parent, as a student, and as a potential teacher. Today I will approach it as a parent.
From a Parent's Eyes
So this week (sort of) marks the end of our search for schools for our son Justin. On February 28th the application for DC Public Schools is due. Here in DC they started using the lottery system in order to give everyone an equal shot at getting into a "good" school. Basically the way it works is like this, everyone has a neighborhood (Boundary) school. Your child will automatically get accepted into that school. But we all know that all schools are not created equal, therefore if you live in a neighborhood where the school is not-so-good, you have the opportunity to apply to an "Out Of Boundary" school that is a "good" school. What constitutes a "good" school is clearly something to be defined by the individual.
What's Good?
Some of the things we were looking at were (in no particular order) test scores, neighborhood, teaching philosophy/special program, and parental involvement. Test scores are one indication of how well the students are learning. It isn't the be all end all, but it is definitely important. The neighborhood is important because let's face it do you really want to drop your kid off in the hoody hood? There was one school that is a really nice school, and many people want their kids to attend it, yet it is on a street right between a liquor store and a strip club. I wasn't feeling that as a parent, but fortunately they are opening a new school for Pre School through 2nd graders.
We Don't Need No Thought Control
As far as teaching philosophy and special programs go, their are a number of programs and philosophies that don't try to cram a bunch of (useless) information into a child's head. These programs look at the child as a whole being and try to engage them to bring out what is natural to us. The programs/philosophies use more creative curriculums and tend to be much more inclusive of the children as partners in education, as opposed to the standard "I'm the teacher so you will learn what I say you learn" approach that has worked so very well in this country (sarcasm...sarcasm...sarcasm). Emilia Reggio, Montessori, Language Immersion, Magnet Schools, and a few others are some of the popular methods of education today, and this was one of our major factors in choosing a school to apply to. Parental involvement was an important factor because in a school where parents are really involved in their child's education tends to be a school where the students excel.
More Choices
So on March 1 the DCPS will hold their lottery, and on March 3rd we will know whether we got into any of the six Public Schools that we applied to. But wait, there's more! In DC we have Public Charter Schools as well. These schools are independently run, but are free to the public. Charter schools are the ones that tend to use the special programs, alternative curriculums, and newer teaching philosophies, so they are clearly the more popular choice for many parents to try to get their children into. The challenge with the "good" schools, whether public or charter, is the fact that the demand is great, but the slots are limited, hence the lottery.
Wish us luck!
Don't forget to become follow this blog!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Run For Your Life!!
Back Again
I haven't blogged in a minute. Partially because I (incorrectly) figured I didn't have much to blog about. By that I mean that I was going to mainly blog about the making of the CD and the making of the TV show. And with the storms we got hit with in DC, I haven't had anyone come over to record, and we cancelled our February tv show. But I still could have written about the new script I was writing for the CD, or the new songs I'm working on, or any number of things related to music and the CD, but I didn't. I could label it "laziness", or "indecisiveness", or any number of other terms but the bottom line is, I wasn't as dedicated to writing on the blog as I could have been. And that isn't acceptable, so I am committing myself to writing at least one post a week. Enough things happen, and enough thoughts run through my mind to make a post a week.
The Fox and The Rabbit
Now, the whole thing with blogging is somewhat of a metaphor of my life right now...I'm doing things, but not to the level that I should be. Which brings me to the title of the blog. Today I received an email from Mark Joyner (check out www.simpleology.com) and the email went like this....
A zen master and his student were watching a
fox chase a rabbit.
The Zen Master said, "who will win?"
The student replied, "Master, of course the fox
will win, he is much faster than the rabbit and has
sharp teeth."
"No" replied the master. "The rabbit will win. The
fox is running for a meal. The rabbit is running
for his life."
Lamont, are you running for a meal, or
are you running for your life?
If you start running for your life, you will
overcome every obstacle.
Now Mark is a master at marketing, and he is driving folks to his products (which are very good by the way), but he definitely hit home with that story. All this time I have been running for a meal when I should have been running for my life.
Running Gear
If I'm gonna run, then I will need appropriate gear. Everyone needs to find the gear that is comfortable for them. I might want to wear Nike, and you might thing Asic is best, while someone else decides to use Adidas. That's fine with me, it won't stop us from running. With that said some of the tools that I am using to help my chart my course are as follows. (Again, I know there are MANY good books, courses, seminars, CDs, DVDs, etc to help one along the way, these are just the ones that I will be using in the immediate present...yeah, I said "immediate present")
Your Faith Is Your Fortune - Neville. This book presents a different perspective on our relationship with God. It may be offensive to some, and it will be enlightening to others.
Master Key System - Charles Haanel. This was originally a 24 week correspondence course, but has been put together in one book as a 24 Part guide for achievement and success.
Designing Your Best Year Ever - Darren Hardy. The editor of Success Magazine has a workbook to help you plan your year. Find it at http://www.successmagazine.com and you may want to subscribe to Success Magazine while you are at it.
Designing The Best 10 Years of Your Life - Darren Hardy. Darren launched an 8 week "course" on his blog for those who want to plan their next 10 years. By the time you read this, the 8-week's will probably be over, but he may have the stuff archived, so visit his blog at http://darrenhardy.success.com (If not holla at me, and I will do what I can to get you the worksheets)
Secrets of The Millionaire Mind - T. Harv Eker - Practical advice on redefining your relationship with money.
Influence - Robert Cialdini - This book offers great insight into the psychology of persuasion and influencing people's decisions.
The Seven Spiritual Laws Of Success - Deepak Chopra - This book deals primarily with coming into harmony with yourself and ultimately everything in your life.
And there you have it. These are the tools I am studying and implementing. I am always looking to learn and grow, so if you have any other great books, CDs, courses, etc share them!
The Caterpillar and The Butterfly
A caterpillar inches it way along in life until at some point it recognizes that it is time to be more than a caterpillar. So the caterpillar goes about nourishing itself by eating a tremendous amount of food. After it eats, it then finds it's way up a tree and by disciplined effort it spins a cocoon for itself. During about a two week period the caterpillar undergoes a metamorphasis. We all know that what emerges is a butterfly, but did you know that when it is time to break out of the cocoon, the butterfly must do it by itself or else it's wings will not get the proper exercise to be strong enough to take flight.
So what's the message here? Personally, I need to first start running for my life. Once that is done appropriately, I will take flight. I hope we can fly together.
I haven't blogged in a minute. Partially because I (incorrectly) figured I didn't have much to blog about. By that I mean that I was going to mainly blog about the making of the CD and the making of the TV show. And with the storms we got hit with in DC, I haven't had anyone come over to record, and we cancelled our February tv show. But I still could have written about the new script I was writing for the CD, or the new songs I'm working on, or any number of things related to music and the CD, but I didn't. I could label it "laziness", or "indecisiveness", or any number of other terms but the bottom line is, I wasn't as dedicated to writing on the blog as I could have been. And that isn't acceptable, so I am committing myself to writing at least one post a week. Enough things happen, and enough thoughts run through my mind to make a post a week.
The Fox and The Rabbit
Now, the whole thing with blogging is somewhat of a metaphor of my life right now...I'm doing things, but not to the level that I should be. Which brings me to the title of the blog. Today I received an email from Mark Joyner (check out www.simpleology.com) and the email went like this....
A zen master and his student were watching a
fox chase a rabbit.
The Zen Master said, "who will win?"
The student replied, "Master, of course the fox
will win, he is much faster than the rabbit and has
sharp teeth."
"No" replied the master. "The rabbit will win. The
fox is running for a meal. The rabbit is running
for his life."
Lamont, are you running for a meal, or
are you running for your life?
If you start running for your life, you will
overcome every obstacle.
Now Mark is a master at marketing, and he is driving folks to his products (which are very good by the way), but he definitely hit home with that story. All this time I have been running for a meal when I should have been running for my life.
Running Gear
If I'm gonna run, then I will need appropriate gear. Everyone needs to find the gear that is comfortable for them. I might want to wear Nike, and you might thing Asic is best, while someone else decides to use Adidas. That's fine with me, it won't stop us from running. With that said some of the tools that I am using to help my chart my course are as follows. (Again, I know there are MANY good books, courses, seminars, CDs, DVDs, etc to help one along the way, these are just the ones that I will be using in the immediate present...yeah, I said "immediate present")
Your Faith Is Your Fortune - Neville. This book presents a different perspective on our relationship with God. It may be offensive to some, and it will be enlightening to others.
Master Key System - Charles Haanel. This was originally a 24 week correspondence course, but has been put together in one book as a 24 Part guide for achievement and success.
Designing Your Best Year Ever - Darren Hardy. The editor of Success Magazine has a workbook to help you plan your year. Find it at http://www.successmagazine.com and you may want to subscribe to Success Magazine while you are at it.
Designing The Best 10 Years of Your Life - Darren Hardy. Darren launched an 8 week "course" on his blog for those who want to plan their next 10 years. By the time you read this, the 8-week's will probably be over, but he may have the stuff archived, so visit his blog at http://darrenhardy.success.com (If not holla at me, and I will do what I can to get you the worksheets)
Secrets of The Millionaire Mind - T. Harv Eker - Practical advice on redefining your relationship with money.
Influence - Robert Cialdini - This book offers great insight into the psychology of persuasion and influencing people's decisions.
The Seven Spiritual Laws Of Success - Deepak Chopra - This book deals primarily with coming into harmony with yourself and ultimately everything in your life.
And there you have it. These are the tools I am studying and implementing. I am always looking to learn and grow, so if you have any other great books, CDs, courses, etc share them!
The Caterpillar and The Butterfly
A caterpillar inches it way along in life until at some point it recognizes that it is time to be more than a caterpillar. So the caterpillar goes about nourishing itself by eating a tremendous amount of food. After it eats, it then finds it's way up a tree and by disciplined effort it spins a cocoon for itself. During about a two week period the caterpillar undergoes a metamorphasis. We all know that what emerges is a butterfly, but did you know that when it is time to break out of the cocoon, the butterfly must do it by itself or else it's wings will not get the proper exercise to be strong enough to take flight.
So what's the message here? Personally, I need to first start running for my life. Once that is done appropriately, I will take flight. I hope we can fly together.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Everybody Is A Star...
...Or so the lyrics to the song go. Well, I definitely know my fair share of people who have the desire to be a star, and in this day and age there are quite a few resources that you can use to put you on a "different level" so to speak. We know that the web has helped launch many (so called) stars careers, but on a more closer-to-home level is Community Television, or Public Access Television.
Public Access?!??
Yeah homie, public access. Turn your nose up at it if you want to, but it is a very viable vehicle to get your message out to your community. Yeah, it's limited to just your community, but beleive me, when you are walking down the street or shopping in the supermarket and someone stops you and says "Hey, I saw you on TV last night!" you will feel just like you would if you were in Hollywood.
I know many public access shows are crappy, but hey, that's their perogative to be crappy if they choose. BUT there are some very high quality shows on public access. And if you can get past the low production costs, you will also see that there are many shows that have very good content. Much better than some of the nonesense you see on the high profile stations.
And besides, public access is a very cost efficient way for folks to learn a skill and put their work in front of others. Although it doesn't happen often, you do have those who graduate from public access to the "big time" (Rachel Ray is an example).
Public Access and Me
I got into public access television back in 1999. I started out taking a 10 week class at Montgomery Community Television in Rockville, Md. One day we got a flier or newsletter or something in the mail, and there was as advertisement for public access television classes. At the time I was heavy into music, but I made the decision that once I finished the project I was working on at the time (The Cofe Shoppe), I was going to go ahead and get into TV.
After taking the class at Montgomery, I created a music video show Real Music Now. I was fortunate enough to have a good friend of mine who was already in the realm of tv and he gave me a ton of videos that people used to send to him. (That friend by the way is Big Tigga, formerly of Rap City). I used my show to spotlight ocal artists, the folks who I knew were likely to not get on the BET, MTV, or other major station shows. It was definitely well received, and i did it for several years.
I then moved on and joined DCTV, Washington DC's public access station. I took all the classes they had to offer, and it's been on ever since. With DCTV I've produced and directed countless shows both in the studio and in the field. It's a great feeling being behind the scenes. DCTV has it's own awards show, the Viewer's Choice Awards, and I've been fortunate enough to win numerous awards for my production. It may not be the Emmy's, but beleive me, it feels good all the same when your name gets called to come up and collect your award.
Public Access and You
Whatever your aspirations are, it's always a good idea to start out local. The likeliehood of you going from Nowhere, USA to Hollywood and landing a huge contract is slim to none. So a good thing to do is hone your skills at your local public/community access station. You want to be the next talk show king? Start one on public access. You want to report the news? Do it on public access. You want to be the next Dirk Diggler? Uhhhm, you gonna have to do that some where else!
Public access does have it's restrictions and limitations. So be sure to consult with them about what you want to do. It can be frustrating dealing with public/community access stations at times, but just keep everything in perspective. You get to produce your show and put it on the air for less than $150? That's a great deal. So what are you waiting for!?? Get your ass up, call your local public access station, and tell them Lamont sent you!! Nah, don't tell them that, but do get up, get out, and get something! Stop talking about the people on the tv, and become the person on tv people talk about!
Below you can view my "day in the life". I've shot footage of what I do to put together a show. I do NOT include the editing of the show, maybe I will do that on a different day, but for now, enjoy these two pieces...
Making Of A Public Access Show Part 1....
Making Of A Public Access Show Part 2....
And before I go, be sure to FOLLOW my blog! It's a little button on the side of the page and one at the top...THANKS!
Public Access?!??
Yeah homie, public access. Turn your nose up at it if you want to, but it is a very viable vehicle to get your message out to your community. Yeah, it's limited to just your community, but beleive me, when you are walking down the street or shopping in the supermarket and someone stops you and says "Hey, I saw you on TV last night!" you will feel just like you would if you were in Hollywood.
I know many public access shows are crappy, but hey, that's their perogative to be crappy if they choose. BUT there are some very high quality shows on public access. And if you can get past the low production costs, you will also see that there are many shows that have very good content. Much better than some of the nonesense you see on the high profile stations.
And besides, public access is a very cost efficient way for folks to learn a skill and put their work in front of others. Although it doesn't happen often, you do have those who graduate from public access to the "big time" (Rachel Ray is an example).
Public Access and Me
I got into public access television back in 1999. I started out taking a 10 week class at Montgomery Community Television in Rockville, Md. One day we got a flier or newsletter or something in the mail, and there was as advertisement for public access television classes. At the time I was heavy into music, but I made the decision that once I finished the project I was working on at the time (The Cofe Shoppe), I was going to go ahead and get into TV.
After taking the class at Montgomery, I created a music video show Real Music Now. I was fortunate enough to have a good friend of mine who was already in the realm of tv and he gave me a ton of videos that people used to send to him. (That friend by the way is Big Tigga, formerly of Rap City). I used my show to spotlight ocal artists, the folks who I knew were likely to not get on the BET, MTV, or other major station shows. It was definitely well received, and i did it for several years.
I then moved on and joined DCTV, Washington DC's public access station. I took all the classes they had to offer, and it's been on ever since. With DCTV I've produced and directed countless shows both in the studio and in the field. It's a great feeling being behind the scenes. DCTV has it's own awards show, the Viewer's Choice Awards, and I've been fortunate enough to win numerous awards for my production. It may not be the Emmy's, but beleive me, it feels good all the same when your name gets called to come up and collect your award.
Public Access and You
Whatever your aspirations are, it's always a good idea to start out local. The likeliehood of you going from Nowhere, USA to Hollywood and landing a huge contract is slim to none. So a good thing to do is hone your skills at your local public/community access station. You want to be the next talk show king? Start one on public access. You want to report the news? Do it on public access. You want to be the next Dirk Diggler? Uhhhm, you gonna have to do that some where else!
Public access does have it's restrictions and limitations. So be sure to consult with them about what you want to do. It can be frustrating dealing with public/community access stations at times, but just keep everything in perspective. You get to produce your show and put it on the air for less than $150? That's a great deal. So what are you waiting for!?? Get your ass up, call your local public access station, and tell them Lamont sent you!! Nah, don't tell them that, but do get up, get out, and get something! Stop talking about the people on the tv, and become the person on tv people talk about!
Below you can view my "day in the life". I've shot footage of what I do to put together a show. I do NOT include the editing of the show, maybe I will do that on a different day, but for now, enjoy these two pieces...
Making Of A Public Access Show Part 1....
Making Of A Public Access Show Part 2....
And before I go, be sure to FOLLOW my blog! It's a little button on the side of the page and one at the top...THANKS!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
I Am Hip Hop...Part Deaux
What's up family. Yesterday I talked about the music project I'm working on, I Am Hip Hop Too, and I wanted to provide further insight into what it is, and what it isn't.
Who Is It For...
I Am Hip Hop Too is a CD that is aimed at the "tweens", kids 8 - 12 or so. Now this isn't exact because as I played the very very rough draft version of it while driving, I noticed my two year old son was enjoying the music as well. And I would venture to guess that since the artists on it are 14 and 15 years old, that their peers would probably enjoy the music as well. I really wouldn't be surprised if adults enjoyed it too because what I'm trying to do is make it authentic. What I mean by "authentic" is I'm putting together songs with good beats and good rhymes.
Also, the main characters are females. As I mentioned in the previous blog post, the CD is aiming to provide females with music that actually uplifts and encourages them, not something the puts them down. My general assumption is that mostly females will listen to and identify with the music, but that doesn't mean that boys can't enjoy it as well. The music and lyrics are gender neutral for the most part, it's just that the people delivering the messages will be females.
What It Is...
I Am Hip Hop Too is a "concept" CD, meaning that the CD will follow a storyline. There have been Hip Hop artists who have put out concept CDs most notably, Little Brother's The Minstrel Show, Wyclef's Carnival, Prince Paul's Prince Among Thieves, and Kanye's College Dropout. I Am Hip Hop Too will follow the story of a young lady who is told that "girls can't rap" and she sets out to prove her doubters wrong by trying to create her own group. This is somewhat different from the original script I wrote, but this is what it is moving forward.
When Will It Be Done...
I'm hesitant to put a finish date on it, because I still have to find a few of the "cast members" (I'm viewing it as if it was a film or a Broadway play). I also have to finish re-writing the new script. My goal is to have it completed by August 2010 at the very latest, in order for us to be eligible for the 2011 Grammy Awards. (Our major goal is to win the award for Best Children's Album). Working with the young ladies that are currently on board has shown me that things aren't going to happen as quickly as I initially thought (I was under the fantasy that I could finish the CD in 3 months). Since I am working with people who have zero experience making a song, I have to take into consideration the learning curve. The young ladies I'm working with now are pretty quick learners, so they are getting a great deal of experience doing their first songs, and that should make it easier to do subsequent songs (or so goes my theory). So, again, I am looking at August or sooner.
Where Is It Being Done...
Currently all recording takes place at my house in my pre-production "studio". My currently consists of a Gateway laptop, loaded with Sony Acid and Sony Sound Forge software, a microphone, and headphones. Viola! Now, when it is time to go into a professional studio, I plan on using Urban Intalek Studios out of Washington DC. I have done a few projects at Urban Intalek and am very comfortable with their facilities and skills. We may do some stuff at another studio, but that hasn't been finalized as of this moment.
Why Is This Being Done...
I pretty much explained the "why" part in my previous blog. I will add to that by saying that instead of complaining about the state of hip hop, how it disrespects women, how the kids need something for them, etc etc etc, I decided to DO something about it. This is my way of solving what I see as "problems". I can bitch and moan from now 'til the end of time, but that won't do any good. I decided to take action and make something that I believe can make a difference. Will it change the world? I don't know, but it will change the world of the young ladies who are making it. It will change my world because I would have given (and received) a great deal of positive energy into the project. And who knows who else the CD might affect. But it won't have an affect on anyone if it is never done. My goal is to sell millions and millions of records (or songs) worldwide. And if that does become the reality, then I would have affected millions and millions of people, and that would be awesome!! If we only sell one copy, then affecting that one life is still a great thing. So hopefully you will support our efforts to do great things....I KNOW you will!
Peace
Who Is It For...
I Am Hip Hop Too is a CD that is aimed at the "tweens", kids 8 - 12 or so. Now this isn't exact because as I played the very very rough draft version of it while driving, I noticed my two year old son was enjoying the music as well. And I would venture to guess that since the artists on it are 14 and 15 years old, that their peers would probably enjoy the music as well. I really wouldn't be surprised if adults enjoyed it too because what I'm trying to do is make it authentic. What I mean by "authentic" is I'm putting together songs with good beats and good rhymes.
Also, the main characters are females. As I mentioned in the previous blog post, the CD is aiming to provide females with music that actually uplifts and encourages them, not something the puts them down. My general assumption is that mostly females will listen to and identify with the music, but that doesn't mean that boys can't enjoy it as well. The music and lyrics are gender neutral for the most part, it's just that the people delivering the messages will be females.
What It Is...
I Am Hip Hop Too is a "concept" CD, meaning that the CD will follow a storyline. There have been Hip Hop artists who have put out concept CDs most notably, Little Brother's The Minstrel Show, Wyclef's Carnival, Prince Paul's Prince Among Thieves, and Kanye's College Dropout. I Am Hip Hop Too will follow the story of a young lady who is told that "girls can't rap" and she sets out to prove her doubters wrong by trying to create her own group. This is somewhat different from the original script I wrote, but this is what it is moving forward.
When Will It Be Done...
I'm hesitant to put a finish date on it, because I still have to find a few of the "cast members" (I'm viewing it as if it was a film or a Broadway play). I also have to finish re-writing the new script. My goal is to have it completed by August 2010 at the very latest, in order for us to be eligible for the 2011 Grammy Awards. (Our major goal is to win the award for Best Children's Album). Working with the young ladies that are currently on board has shown me that things aren't going to happen as quickly as I initially thought (I was under the fantasy that I could finish the CD in 3 months). Since I am working with people who have zero experience making a song, I have to take into consideration the learning curve. The young ladies I'm working with now are pretty quick learners, so they are getting a great deal of experience doing their first songs, and that should make it easier to do subsequent songs (or so goes my theory). So, again, I am looking at August or sooner.
Where Is It Being Done...
Currently all recording takes place at my house in my pre-production "studio". My currently consists of a Gateway laptop, loaded with Sony Acid and Sony Sound Forge software, a microphone, and headphones. Viola! Now, when it is time to go into a professional studio, I plan on using Urban Intalek Studios out of Washington DC. I have done a few projects at Urban Intalek and am very comfortable with their facilities and skills. We may do some stuff at another studio, but that hasn't been finalized as of this moment.
Why Is This Being Done...
I pretty much explained the "why" part in my previous blog. I will add to that by saying that instead of complaining about the state of hip hop, how it disrespects women, how the kids need something for them, etc etc etc, I decided to DO something about it. This is my way of solving what I see as "problems". I can bitch and moan from now 'til the end of time, but that won't do any good. I decided to take action and make something that I believe can make a difference. Will it change the world? I don't know, but it will change the world of the young ladies who are making it. It will change my world because I would have given (and received) a great deal of positive energy into the project. And who knows who else the CD might affect. But it won't have an affect on anyone if it is never done. My goal is to sell millions and millions of records (or songs) worldwide. And if that does become the reality, then I would have affected millions and millions of people, and that would be awesome!! If we only sell one copy, then affecting that one life is still a great thing. So hopefully you will support our efforts to do great things....I KNOW you will!
Peace
Saturday, January 2, 2010
I Am Hip Hop Too
I remember when KRS One first boldy made the statement "I Am Hip Hop" and there was a little bit of backlash (particularly from The Source) because certain folks didn't understand what he meant. He went on to explain that he, along with many others, embody what Hip Hop is, therefore he is Hip Hop. KRS One has a clear understanding of "I Am", whereas most people didn't. But we aren't here to discuss that. Maybe that will be another blog post.....
I Am Hip Hop Too is the tentative title of the CD that I am in the process of making. This CD is for children and young adults, but it isn't going to be one of those generic hip hop cd's with a chorus of happy kids. I Am Hip Hop Too is about empowerment and inclusion. Just like when KRS One made hi bold statement, this CD is a bold statement also.
The concept of the CD was born from one summer back in '03 or '04 when I was caring for my nephew Jamil who was about 8 years old at the time. As most parents can attest, when you have a child around you quickly become aware of the influences that are in our society, particularly music that is played on the radio. Prior to Jamil staying with me I had already become somewhat disgusted with the quality of music that was being played on mainstream radio, but when he was with me I became aware of just how, let's say, "un-kid friendly" the music was. And this was stuff that was being played at regular intervals throughout the daytime. It was very common for me to have to turn the radio off while driving with him.
At the same time I was in the process of recording a couple of CDs with some artists I was producing (Ms. Nyema and SinSational - check them out on http://www.cdbaby.com/). One evening while in the studio I jokingly said that I was going to make a CD for kids and call it the Hip Hop Bears. Although I was joking, I did some quick and dirty research and found out that there wasn't anything available for kids in the hip hop genre. Every now and again you have your kid acts (i.e. - Kriss Kross), but they were definitely few and far between. So without putting too much additional thought into it, I filed it away as something I may do later.
Fast foward a couple of years later and lo and behold I see a show on TV called Hip Hop Harry, a rapping bear! At that point I knew I needed to begin working the project that I had been thinking about. I tossed around some concepts in my head and some songs began to come to me. Then I got married and had my son, and the album was put on hold. After a little bit of time to get back into the groove, I once again began working on the CD. And now in 2010 I have a "finished" product that I am in the process of recording.
Earlier I stated that the CD is "bold", and I beleive it is, let me explain. First, the CD is for kids and by kids (and kids in this instance is young adults). It is particularly about empowering young ladies. In Hip Hop women get demeaned, degraded, and devalued, yet women love Hip Hop just as much as the fellas do. (This is a topic that I will most definitely discuss in future blogs, but for now let me move on.) This CD gives young woman a chance to say "Hey, I love hip hop and I don't have to be disrespected, or disrespect myself in the process". This is young women saying "I Am Hip Hop Too!"
So I made a video showing part of the recording process that I am going through to get the CD done. It is a lot of work because I am working with young ladies who although very talented, are not "rappers". Finding kids who are rappers in the DC area was hard enough, but finding young ladies who are rappers was even harder. So I had to make the decision to use people who had a passion to do the work as opposed to seeking people who "fit the bill" so to speak. If I was in NY,NJ, or Philly I probably would had kids (or their parents) beating down my door, but the DC area was different. So anyhow, check out the video (Making Of A CD-Jan 2), and know that there is much more to come. (if the video seems a bit fuzzy or pixelated, you may want to view it directly from YouTube, where it will be much clearer) Until next time....Peace!
I Am Hip Hop Too is the tentative title of the CD that I am in the process of making. This CD is for children and young adults, but it isn't going to be one of those generic hip hop cd's with a chorus of happy kids. I Am Hip Hop Too is about empowerment and inclusion. Just like when KRS One made hi bold statement, this CD is a bold statement also.
The concept of the CD was born from one summer back in '03 or '04 when I was caring for my nephew Jamil who was about 8 years old at the time. As most parents can attest, when you have a child around you quickly become aware of the influences that are in our society, particularly music that is played on the radio. Prior to Jamil staying with me I had already become somewhat disgusted with the quality of music that was being played on mainstream radio, but when he was with me I became aware of just how, let's say, "un-kid friendly" the music was. And this was stuff that was being played at regular intervals throughout the daytime. It was very common for me to have to turn the radio off while driving with him.
At the same time I was in the process of recording a couple of CDs with some artists I was producing (Ms. Nyema and SinSational - check them out on http://www.cdbaby.com/). One evening while in the studio I jokingly said that I was going to make a CD for kids and call it the Hip Hop Bears. Although I was joking, I did some quick and dirty research and found out that there wasn't anything available for kids in the hip hop genre. Every now and again you have your kid acts (i.e. - Kriss Kross), but they were definitely few and far between. So without putting too much additional thought into it, I filed it away as something I may do later.
Fast foward a couple of years later and lo and behold I see a show on TV called Hip Hop Harry, a rapping bear! At that point I knew I needed to begin working the project that I had been thinking about. I tossed around some concepts in my head and some songs began to come to me. Then I got married and had my son, and the album was put on hold. After a little bit of time to get back into the groove, I once again began working on the CD. And now in 2010 I have a "finished" product that I am in the process of recording.
Earlier I stated that the CD is "bold", and I beleive it is, let me explain. First, the CD is for kids and by kids (and kids in this instance is young adults). It is particularly about empowering young ladies. In Hip Hop women get demeaned, degraded, and devalued, yet women love Hip Hop just as much as the fellas do. (This is a topic that I will most definitely discuss in future blogs, but for now let me move on.) This CD gives young woman a chance to say "Hey, I love hip hop and I don't have to be disrespected, or disrespect myself in the process". This is young women saying "I Am Hip Hop Too!"
So I made a video showing part of the recording process that I am going through to get the CD done. It is a lot of work because I am working with young ladies who although very talented, are not "rappers". Finding kids who are rappers in the DC area was hard enough, but finding young ladies who are rappers was even harder. So I had to make the decision to use people who had a passion to do the work as opposed to seeking people who "fit the bill" so to speak. If I was in NY,NJ, or Philly I probably would had kids (or their parents) beating down my door, but the DC area was different. So anyhow, check out the video (Making Of A CD-Jan 2), and know that there is much more to come. (if the video seems a bit fuzzy or pixelated, you may want to view it directly from YouTube, where it will be much clearer) Until next time....Peace!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
2009 is Behind...Let's Begin 2010
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..... yeah, that's about right for 2009. I'll take a few minutes to reflect on '09 and a few minutes to set up '10.
'09 started with a bang! Obama was sworn in, and I was let go from my job of seven years. That wasn't such a bad thing, because as I reflect on it, I was there about three years too long. Instead of making a super conscious effort to leave when I realized that the new management was out of their minds, I stayed and made half-assed efforts to find a new job, and complained more than I made attempts. Oh well, that all ended in January 2009.
Also during '09 I continued my quest as a Real Estate Investor. Well, that was a good attempt, but I got hit from the blindside with somethings, and learned a few valuable lessons. From there, I decided I should become a teacher, at which point I enrolled in Phoenix University to obtain a Master's in Elementary Education. Still going with that, although after working in the Public School system at various points, I am wondering if i reeeeeaaaaally want to do it.
One of the high points of the year was the Mount Vernon High School 20 Year Reunion. Thanks to Facebook a group of us (Akilah, Amy, Lisa, Sean, Ali, Russ, Lori, Susan, Asheki) formed a committee and made it happen. It was a whoooolllleeee lot of work to make it happen, and I really didn't get to enjoy the reunion itself because I was doing so much. But I was proud of what the team was able to accomplish and as an event it was very successful, and I'm very proud of that.
Another thing that I am very happy to be working on is my hip hop CD that is for Kids (tentatively titled "I Am Hip Hop Too"). It's been a long time coming, and there is a whole lot of work that needs to be done on it, but I "finished" writing it in '09, and started doing pre-production with a couple of young ladies who are going to be on it. I will get me detailed about the project on another post, but for now just know that I believe it's going to be a very big deal, and we definitely want to make it as good as possible.
Along the line of kids and entertainment, our television show Kids In The Kitchen continued on. Late in the year I decided to take a more active role in guiding the show. I had intitially decided to let the ladies (Sheila and Maieka) decide the course of the show and the business they wanted to create from it. My role was to be the producer and tech for the show. But as time went on it became apparent that I needed to play a larger role in moving the show up to a higher level because of the great potential the show has.
The ups and downs of 2009 helped me prepare for what's up next. It allowed me to really evaluate who I Am, and who I need to be in order to get what I desire. Nothing like struggling in certain areas that give you a wake up call. So as for 2010, and the next decade for that matter, I am creating a Vision, and I within my vision I am setting up goals, and in order to reach those goals I am making plans. After all that, I am getting busy!
I have a lot to do. No, wait, WE have a lot to do. Because at some point YOU will be a part of my plans too. In some way shape or form, if you are reading this, in some small or large way, we will work together. I don't know how, when, or where, but we will.
I have big plans for 2010 and beyond! Many of my plans involve what was begun in 2009, so I will be blogging all about my endeavors. Some of the things I have planned include my work on the CD, my work on the tv show, my work in social media, my quest towards a Master's Degree, and more. My thoughts on those things and on various topics will all be provided here. I will include pictures, video, and links and of course my reflections so hopefully you will continue to ride with me, because it will definitely be a fun ride!
'09 started with a bang! Obama was sworn in, and I was let go from my job of seven years. That wasn't such a bad thing, because as I reflect on it, I was there about three years too long. Instead of making a super conscious effort to leave when I realized that the new management was out of their minds, I stayed and made half-assed efforts to find a new job, and complained more than I made attempts. Oh well, that all ended in January 2009.
Also during '09 I continued my quest as a Real Estate Investor. Well, that was a good attempt, but I got hit from the blindside with somethings, and learned a few valuable lessons. From there, I decided I should become a teacher, at which point I enrolled in Phoenix University to obtain a Master's in Elementary Education. Still going with that, although after working in the Public School system at various points, I am wondering if i reeeeeaaaaally want to do it.
One of the high points of the year was the Mount Vernon High School 20 Year Reunion. Thanks to Facebook a group of us (Akilah, Amy, Lisa, Sean, Ali, Russ, Lori, Susan, Asheki) formed a committee and made it happen. It was a whoooolllleeee lot of work to make it happen, and I really didn't get to enjoy the reunion itself because I was doing so much. But I was proud of what the team was able to accomplish and as an event it was very successful, and I'm very proud of that.
Another thing that I am very happy to be working on is my hip hop CD that is for Kids (tentatively titled "I Am Hip Hop Too"). It's been a long time coming, and there is a whole lot of work that needs to be done on it, but I "finished" writing it in '09, and started doing pre-production with a couple of young ladies who are going to be on it. I will get me detailed about the project on another post, but for now just know that I believe it's going to be a very big deal, and we definitely want to make it as good as possible.
Along the line of kids and entertainment, our television show Kids In The Kitchen continued on. Late in the year I decided to take a more active role in guiding the show. I had intitially decided to let the ladies (Sheila and Maieka) decide the course of the show and the business they wanted to create from it. My role was to be the producer and tech for the show. But as time went on it became apparent that I needed to play a larger role in moving the show up to a higher level because of the great potential the show has.
The ups and downs of 2009 helped me prepare for what's up next. It allowed me to really evaluate who I Am, and who I need to be in order to get what I desire. Nothing like struggling in certain areas that give you a wake up call. So as for 2010, and the next decade for that matter, I am creating a Vision, and I within my vision I am setting up goals, and in order to reach those goals I am making plans. After all that, I am getting busy!
I have a lot to do. No, wait, WE have a lot to do. Because at some point YOU will be a part of my plans too. In some way shape or form, if you are reading this, in some small or large way, we will work together. I don't know how, when, or where, but we will.
I have big plans for 2010 and beyond! Many of my plans involve what was begun in 2009, so I will be blogging all about my endeavors. Some of the things I have planned include my work on the CD, my work on the tv show, my work in social media, my quest towards a Master's Degree, and more. My thoughts on those things and on various topics will all be provided here. I will include pictures, video, and links and of course my reflections so hopefully you will continue to ride with me, because it will definitely be a fun ride!
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