For a long time I was content with being a spectator. Coppin Cds and going to concerts to see my favorite rappers do what they do, then sittin home alone freestylin to myself over any beat that came on. To this day I have trouble trying to describe the effect that a tight verse over the perfect beat has on my soul. It's the reason why most of my freinds are my friends (they feel the same why about wackness as I do). The reason why I'm usually not attracted to women unless they "have a way with words"(Damn that shit is sexy!!) Hip Hop does things for me what no other form of creativity can, regulate my moods. If I need to mellow out w/o Mary Jane I just select the proper Pete Rock Track, To get hype (or at least as hype as I can get) a lil Busta. I'm gettin off the subject.Then came that day in '98 at UPS when a Co-worker after seeing me writing in my book on the way to work asked me to spit somethin, Now I knew I was aight but his reaction told me two things- 1.I'm better than I thought 2.I need to hit the studio, and I did... $200.00 dollars and 1 recorded song later I realized I'd be better off trying to get discovered. So I began studying the business side of Hip Hop and hittin up Open Mics.Every other Saturday (the day after I got paid) I was at the Pearl of Africa for Zion Train and seeing such a wide range of talent from Punk/Rap chics to a poet dude with dreads that looked a hell of a lot like Savion Glover. I really didn't care who was in the crowd in the beginning it was just another way for me to get more lyrical exercise. Besides my naturally reserved nature kept me from saying more than few words to anybody that wasn't "fam".Around the same time my friends and I developed what became a weekly ritual, with all of us being certified Hip Hop junkies there was a competition to see who got the new album the earliest (while normal people wait for tuesday to go out and get an artist's latest release a junky is in the mom and pop record shop on the friday or saturday before) after the weed was smoked and the album enjoyed and discussed it was only a matter of time before somebody (usually Rone or my delf) pulls out a tape/cd of beats and got busy. While Rone had basketball and Trizz had his skateboard for extra "hobbies" all I ever had was my words.Then in 2000 the unexpected happened.. Love/Lust/Infatuation whatever it's called I was sprung, and for the next three & a half years (she says 4 but I don't count those few months in the middle when I let her go cuz she was having "doubts") I had places to be that had nothing to do with beats and rhymes... just life, and having someone to share my hopes and dreams with opened me up to new creative outlets. I was writing poems strictly for her and R&B/Soul music began to make sense and I used it for more than just makin d.t.p. tapes.My creative juices were flowin like never before, but I wasn't going out as much mostly cuz "we" couldn't afford it, but it was cool. Until I realized how much I loved being on stage, rather how much i needed to be on stage. To make long story short I was miserable, and my partner in rhyme was missing in action (he relocated to GA). Now I'm living with this women who supports my creativity but freely admits some of my stuff is over her head. Then one night it was over(I wrote a piece about it that I might put on here)Then came a series of unfortunate events which lead to a nervous breakdown (I still feel some lingering effects from time to time) at which point I got call from my boi in the dirty requesting my presence. So I hop on the Greyhound headed to a town I had never heard of To my surprise this college campus was filled with more creative energy then I(my Philly nigga ego) ever would have expected, but my new found demons kept me from being very productive and I headed back home with a cd full of EXTREMELY ruff material.In Philly I found that silver lining in the form of an art gallery around the corner from me. It was at Word 4 Word where I discovered the healing power of laughter and how powerful words can really be after hearing strangers then(I consider them friends now) say things that both moved and inspired me. I still hear that voice in my head everytime I think about puttin down my pen.Right now I'm just happy to be making music for the love and believing that one day ya'll catch up to what we're doing.HIGHER GROUNDZ is the movement PURE SOUL is the music...Stay Tuned
performing under the influence @ vice or verse 2-08
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