This week we’re bumping Chief And TheDoomsdayDevice’s “Permanent Record.” It’s a sonic adventure from a hard working indie artist that I think you’ll enjoy. Pair it up with something classy like Ardbeg on the rocks and enjoy!

Now onto this weeks topic: Style…

“Describe your style” It’s one of those generic topics that comes up in interviews all the time. I always envisioned being asked to do that so many times that I would get sick of it. I wanted to be prepared with a thoughtful answer so I coached myself on how I would respond. Since I’m pretty much totally inept at garnering press coverage I’ve not really been asked to describe my style much but that didn’t stop me from endlessly pontificating on such a task. Now this is basically going to be mental masturbation for me but it is also a useful exercise for any creative person. Your style is essentially a description of how you do what you do. As soon as you unleash your creative endeavor onto the public people are going to begin to define your style. Knowing how you describe your style will help you stay ahead of the narrative and will also give you a foundation to build future projects from. I’m not advocating handcuffing yourself to any particular way of doing things. Growth and evolution are important but having a firm grip on your personal style allows you to better utilize your chosen medium and therefore cut through the noise and stand out.

All this seems very simple and obvious but you’d be surprised how many people never take a moment to ponder their personal style. I’ve been doing the D.I.Y. music thing for close to 15 years now and over the course of my adventures I’ve run into a lot of fellow artists. Some of them have gone on to create hours great music. Others I never heard a peep from ever again. The factor that separated the former from the latter was a grasp on style. Rap is an idiom that is particularly driven by style. If you consider the millions of rappers out there one common thread between all of them is that they are all essentially doing the same thing. Spoken rhythmic vocals over a beat, that’s what every rap song is. What makes the great ones great is the style with which they are executed. Compared to other genres of music, rap is incredibly easy to make. This applies more to the actual rapping not the production end which can be as complex as any form of music. Consider a rock band, even the most basic format a trio with a guitar player, a bass player, and a drummer. In order for a formula that simple to come into fruition each of the members has to procure an instrument that’s already at least a couple hundred dollars. Then they each have to gain at least some sort of basic ability to play their instrument. That’s hours and hours of practice before they can even consider trying to play a song, let alone write an original one. An aspiring rapper on the other hand can get a download a beat from the internet, write a rap to it and pay some dude $25 to record it. This is why there is so much abysmal rap music out there, there is no real filter preventing the hacks from recording their hackery for posterity. This is why style is so important in rap. I can’t count how many rappers I’ve run into who simply had no style. The tragedy is that some of these rappers actually had the technical ability to make some very interesting music but instead of taking the time and effort to look within and find a style they just rehashed the blueprint they’d heard a million times before. On the other hand I’ve know rappers with only a marginal level of pure talent who make some the most amazing music. The difference… you guessed it: STYLE!

So here’s your homework; take a moment and think about you would describe your style. Think of a concise three to five word statement that sums it all up. After you’ve come up with one that you’re happy with write a paragraph describing your “Aesthetic Style” (i.e. how you do what you do, the the techniques and influences that shape your style) and your “Conceptual Style” (i.e. what you do, the subject matter and approach that you use when creating.) Next week I’m going to break down my personal style and show you what I came up with. You can post your answers to the comments if you like.

Until then… Enjoy this:

Today I’m bumping my homie James from way back’s project A Tightly Woven Lattice. The record is called “Bread And Rubber” and it’s definitely worth a listen. Since James is a Southern gentlemen this record pairs up best with some bourbon and I recommend Wild Turkey 101 on the rocks. Sip it slow and enjoy:

Now that the mood is right let’s pick up where we left off last week. If you haven’t read the last post you should go do that before continuing…

-4) Define Success-
A trap that a lot of artists fall into is allowing outside factors to define what success is for them. This can potentially be the most damaging mistake one can make. Take ownership of your vision and think long and hard about what you define success as. People who aren’t actively involved in music often have a skewed perspective on success. They see artists with multiple major label releases, millions of dollars, reality TV shows, apparel endorsements ect. and they consider that success and anything less than that failure. Nothing can be farther from the truth but if you allow your success to be defined by others you are in for a great deal of disappointment. All of those things would be nice and there is absolutely nothing wrong with thinking big and aiming high. It is important to consider however, that behind every artists out there with the millions and the major deal there is a team of people whose job it is to procure those opportunities. That team is made up of well paid professionals with access to gigantic budgets and high powered contacts. If you are an independent artists handling most of your own affairs it’s not only unrealistic but it’s unfair to measure your success by the same rubric. The same dynamic exists in any other industry. Think about a mom and pop Italian restaurant compared to The Olive Garden. Both businesses provide essentially the same service but are working with vastly different resources. Where Olive Garden requires millions of dollars in profit, vigorous expansion and ultimately an increase in the value of stocks for their parent company to be considered successful the mom and pop restaurant requires something very different. If the owners of the mom and pop restaurant manage to make payroll and cover overhead in their first 5 years that’s already a small miracle and if they can be even modestly profitable and stay open for 10, 15 or even 20 years that is a glowing success in independent restaurant terms. The point is, you and you alone should determine weather or not you are successful. Set your goals, work towards them and don’t let anyone belittle your efforts.

-5) Focus On What You Can Control-
Talent and hard work are important but they alone do not ensure that you get everything out of your music that you may want. Something that nobody likes to talk about is the role that luck plays in the “making it.” Anyone who has enjoyed even moderate success in the music business has gotten lucky to some degree. That doesn’t take away from their talent or their hard work at all. In fact if it weren’t for those things they would not have been able to take advantage of whatever turns of good fortune came their way. Thing is you can’t bank on luck. You can’t sit around and wait for the dice to roll in your favor because you have no control over that. What you can control is the effort you put into your craft. Focus on the things that you can have a direct effect upon. You can’t make hundreds of thousands of people love your music but you can make sure that it is the best it can be and that it is fully accessible to anyone who should want to find it. You can’t force hundreds of people to pack out the venue when you play a show but you can make sure that the people who do come get the best show you can give them. Put your efforts into constantly improving your art so when Lady Luck pays you a visit you’ll be able to capitalize on it.

-6) Embrace Your Niche-
Unless you are a hermit (which would make playing popular music an odd career choice) you’ve got a network of supporters. At first it might be just your family and friends but as you release more music and play more shows you begin to expand that network. These are the people who will propel you. They are the ones who didn’t need to read about you on a blog to give you a chance. They saw you play or they listened to music you gave them and they made a choice to enjoy what they heard or saw. This is your niche. These are the people you directly impact and it’s important to embrace that because no matter how few supporters you think you have there is always someone with fewer. Of course we all want to reach the widest audience we can but that takes time and if you truly embrace your existing audience they will be the ones most likely to carry your banner outward and introduce you to the world. I say all this because I think sometimes artists neglect their niche in their efforts to expand. I’ve seen acts that I respect phone in performances because attendance wasn’t what they’ve come to expect. I’ve also seen artist take to the internet complaining that “nobody bought their album” when I know for a fact that I did buy their album. It’s easy to get frustrated because you work hard on something and you want o see it do well but never turn your back on those who’ve been in your corner. Embracing the niche that you’ve carved out will not only provide a springboard for new projects it also provides a support system for when times are tough. The practice also has a snowball effect. If you make an effort to show the people who support you how much you appreciate them then every time some one new enters the fold they get to experience the love and that makes them more inclined to share your music with others and then those people come into the fold and the process continues. The bottom line is we all want a bigger fan base but the most important fans are the ones you already have.

17) Come To Grips-
If nothing else I’ve said stick with you I hope this does. It’s important to keep in mind that things may not always shake out the way you wanted them to. You may not ever catch your big break hell you may not ever even get to quit your day job but that doesn’t in any way decrease the value of the music you make. At any given moment in time there are literally millions of people making brand new music the vast majority of it will never get heard. If you get the chance to turn even one person into a fan of your music you’ve accomplished more than millions of people ever will. Be proud of that. The key is to keep creating. You never know what impact you will have and when that impact will be made. Maybe some time years after you stop actively pursuing music somebody stumbles across your bandcamp page and it inspires them to start making music and then others follow suit and a whole new genre of music springs up built around the music you made and you become the godfather of a whole generation. Maybe not but you’ll never know if you never try. Always aim high and strive to do your best but be content with the fact that you actually made music. That’s a joy so many people will never experience and that alone is cause for celebration.

Well I hope this was helpful, tune in next week when I discuss style. I’m going to dissect my personal writing style and it should be pretty fun.

Until then enjoy this:

As I’m typing this I’m bumping my homie Metrognome’s newest mixtape. My suggestion is you pair it up with some Laphroaig or another good sipping scotch and enjoy:

GREEN Vol. 1 by Metrognome on Mixcloud

Now that the mood is properly set let’s get into today’s topic. As I eluded to in last week’s screed, I spend a lot of time by myself. Walking, waiting on the bus or just sitting in my room by myself because I have no social life, I’m rolling solo most of the time. It may sound kind of tragic but I actually like it. It gives me the opportunity to conduct interviews with myself and cook up content for this blog. That brings us to today’s topic: managing expectations. This was a hard-learned lesson for me but I can honestly say that as I whittle away at my 15th year in this racket it was the most important one I’ve ever learned so here we go…

“All the pain we experience is a result of our expectations”

That’s an Eyedea (Rest In Power) line and it’s one that is infinitely true. Take a second to consider the most painful moments in your life. Not the physically painful but the emotionally painful. When someone you’re in love with breaks your heart, someone close to you dies, or some opportunity that you really wanted doesn’t happen. The root of the pain you feel stems from the expectations you had for the situation. I had a girlfriend once who I was convinced I was going to marry, one day she ended things and I felt like the whole world came crashing down. It was not the first time a woman had broken up with me–that’s pretty much what women do when it comes to dating me–but my expectations for that relationship were set so high that were it to end in anything but happily ever after it was destined to sting…

So, I’m sure you’re saying “Ghani what does your ex-girlfriend have to do with hip hop?” and here’s the reason for that anecdote. It’s all about managing expectations. What you expect to happen in your rap exploits and the gains you expect to make from them are going to dictate weather or not you find happiness or disappointment in your endeavors. The rap game is hard, I’ve “quit” multiple times because of disillusion or disappointment but all that came from my unrealistic expectations. We all walk around with the idea in our heads that we are just one break away from attaining the status we know we deserve. There is nothing wrong with that, I’m a firm believer in the power of positive thinking. In all reality is is entirely possible that you are, in fact, one break away. It is also entirely possible that you are not. You may not ever catch the “break” that you are looking for. I’m not saying that to discourage you. Weather or not you “hit it big” shouldn’t factor into your decision to make music at all. What I’m getting at is that if you expect to be a famous rapper making millions of dollars with hits on the radio and videos on TV then anything less than that is going to be a disappointment and that’s going to negatively affect the level of joy you get out of hip hop…

That’s where managing expectations comes in. Thing is, not everybody becomes a big star, not everybody even gets to make a living with their craft. There are a lot of factors that go into reaching that level and most of those factors have nothing to do with art or creativity. Despite that fact there is a myriad of reasons to make music, the most important reason being the happiness it can bring you. It’s going to be a roller-coaster ride–at least if you are doing it right–but if you are honest with yourself and your audience and you manage your expectations the highs will greatly outweigh the lows. Here’s 7 things to consider:

-1) Understand The Landscape-
I put this one first because I think it’s the most important. One of the most frustrating things that occurs in hip hop is that it often gets painted with much too broad of a brush. Artists, venues, promoters are all susceptible to this fatal flaw. I know I’ve been involved in some shows where this was definitely the case. It happened when I was first starting in Atlanta (back in the Street Temple days) and again when I moved to Charlotte and was trying to break in there. It’s a tragically frustrating set of circumstances, what equates to a glorified open mic with faux radio rappers doing their best impression of the current “hot shit” rapping over their own vocals mixed in with hungry backpackers (for lack of a better word) doing their best Wu-Tang impression thrown in with a cadre of other weirdos perhaps an aspiring juggalo or two. I don’t mean to sound insulting to any of these artists. It takes all types and as long as a person is proud of what they are doing, far be it from me to say they shouldn’t be doing it. Furthermore, diversity is nice and I don’t believe that people should be pigeon-holed into strict categories with no cross-pollination but there are limits and one must consider the audience and their sensibilities (more on that later.) The key word is context. Hip hop is a vast landscape with a wide variety of artists making contributions. Those artists offer all kinds of different things for people to enjoy but not all flavors go together at least not with out some consideration. I think a lot of rappers fail to realize this, especially when they are starting off. I know that feeling, you’ve been writing and free-styling and you just know that you are stupid dope and then you hear some lowest-common-denominator radio fodder and think “I’m better than that, I should be there not them.” That’s where context comes in, the radio doesn’t exist to promote art, it’s nominally an outlet for entertainment but it’s really just there to sell products. If you make music that is artistically adventurous or challenges conventions, the radio is not the proper context for you. The opposite is true, if you make “club bangers” designed to get people to pop bottles and grind each other then jumping in the van and trooping to dive bars across the U.S. to play for rooms full of indie kids is not the proper context for you. People like what they like and no matter how talented you are you can’t force people to like something that doesn’t fit their tastes, sometimes you can expand people’s horizons but again you need the proper context. If the patrons of a venue came out that night with the explicit intentions of poppin bottles and grinding each other and you get on stage and start “droppin’ knowledge” about genocide in Darfur, chances are things aren’t going to turn out well. Know the landscape and you can better understand the ideal context for you then you will know what to expect and be able to more accurately match those expectations with a realistic possible outcome.

-2) Know Your Audience-
This one can be trickier than it seems because we as artists are our own audience and thus we often skew our perception towards how we identify ourselves. For instance, I identify myself as a “Hiphop Head” I like all kinds of music and go through phases but as a general rule 85% of the time there’s some rap bumping in my headphones. My style of dress, appreciation for visual art and overall worldview all pass through a hip hop filter. Naturally I figured my audience was fellow “Hiphop Heads” early on this was true but as time went on my style developed and I became more comfortable in my own skin. I also got the opportunity to travel and play for lots of different people and I realized that my audience was not defined by their fondness of a particular genre of music. The unifying factors ran much deeper. Early on I used to just “spit bars” it was style over substance but when I started doing my solo stuff I brought my personal life into my lyrics. The songs were more about trying to make it in a system I didn’t much care for. I began to see that the folks who listen to me identify with that, they are working stiffs like me who see through the social smoke screens and seek to live life on their own terms. This revelation allowed me to manage my expectations. I’m not rapping to a bunch of tweens with disposable income. My audience is hard-working intelligent people who have responsibilities and goals. I’m not going to get rich hawking merchandise to them and I wouldn’t want to. This makes the support I get so much more rewarding because I know the people listening are out there facing the struggle head on and are kind enough to make a little room in their life for my rantings. So when I say “Know Your Audience” I don’t mean generate some statistic about demographics I mean get to know who they are as people.

-3) Inventory Your Resources-
Here’s where the cold hard pragmatism comes in. We’ve all the rags-to-riches story of the fledgling rapper rising from the gutter to achieve wealth and recognition. What we don’t hear about is the guys who toil thanklessly and never catch their break. And what we REALLY never hear about is how the rags-to-riches story is usually bullshit. It makes a compelling bio to tell the tale of MC Dollar-And-A-Dream rising from abject poverty to fortune and fame by sheer force of will and undeniable talent. However, this is very rarely the whole story. No doubt there are artists who persevere through hardships and who’s talent is such that it captivates the masses thus catapulting them into the spotlight. What doesn’t always make it through the hype machine is the amount of money and resources spent on getting that artist there. It takes literally hundreds of thousands of dollars to get into mainstream radio rotation. Do you have hundreds of thousands of dollars? If you do and you’re reading this then go to my bandcamp and cop some stuff, everything is “name your price” and there is no maximum. If you don’t and you still really want to be on the radio then you’re going to have to hire somebody who can find that kind of money. Can you afford that? The great thing about making music today is that there are countless ways to reach a potential audience and you can spend as little or as much as you want on them but you have to be realistic about what you expect the reach to be. This applies across the board, shows, albums everything. A realistic inventory of your resources will allow you to properly manage your expectations for any undertaking. Can you afford professionally manufactured CDs or are you going to have to go the D.I.Y. route? Neither way is wrong or right but you can’t really ask the same price for a home-made CD-R as you can for a professionally made CD. Therefore you can’t expect the same financial returns from selling one as you can from the other. A professionally manufactured product has more perceived value and thus a more realistic revenue stream. Of course it costs more to produce while home made CD-Rs are less expensive. To ask someone to pay $10 for your home-made product when the next guy’s asking $7 for a shrink-wrapped retail-ready glass-back replication is not only insulting to the people but it’s dumb and you’re more than likely going home with the same amount of CDs as you came with. That’s not because your music sucks it’s because you had unrealistic expectations. Sell those bad boys for $2 and watch them fly. Resources go beyond just the financial. Do you have the time? Can you spend a whole weekend in the studio or two weeks on the road? If you can’t then you can’t expect to accomplish the same things as someone who can. Most importantly though, don’t look at your inventory as a list of things you can’t do, take some time, be creative and think about what you can do. Resources can be anything. You may not have the money to press up 1000 pro CDs but you may have a bunch of art supplies and creative friends. You can turn your D.I.Y. CD-Rs into unique pieces of art thus exponentially increasing their perceived value. You may not have the funding to book hotels and travel to get to major markets around the country but you might know some other artists in smaller markets nearby who will let you crash at their place. What it boils down to is know what you have to work with and you’ll know what you can expect. You’re not going to sell 250,000 copies of your record on a $500 budget but you could sell 250 hand crafted boutique copies, each with unique artwork and a personalized message inside for like $15 a pop and make you a cool $3250 in profit. That’s not going to do anything for your soundscan numbers but who gives a shit. $3250 in cash is a glowing success so long as you manage your expectations.

Alright party people, we are already north of 2000 words here and in internet terms that may as well be “War And Peace” so we’ll tackle keys 4 through 7 next week. Thanks for reading and I hope this was useful or at least interesting. Until then enjoy this:

And remember kids… Ghani Gautama loves you!

I know we’re already a 3rd of the way through it but I hope this year’s been treating you all well.  Mine’s been pretty awesome.  After essentially quitting rap (again) six months I find myself once again motivated and productive.  I put a new EP last month through my good friend Crocker’s label Lovelorn Records and I’m proud of it. If you follow me out in the social network quagmire then you’ve heard all about it but just in case you don’t here it is:

Now that the self-promotion is out of the way let’s get into something marginally interesting…

In my 30 years on this planet I’ve learned to come to peace with the fact that I’m a pretty weird dude. I do weird stuff. I’ll stay up all night watching documentaries on YouTube about pirates or Bigfoot. I have a collection of fitted caps that I meticulously arrange using a complex algorithm that involves alphabetization, time of ownership and series of very specific subcategories. Bear in mind this is my hat collection. Perhaps the most bizarre practice that I employ is talking to myself, more accurately interview myself. See, I don’t own a car or have a driver’s license and this has an adverse effect on my social life so in addition to walking a lot I also spend a lot of time by myself. These circumstances create many opportunities for the aforementioned “interviews.” Sometimes I throw softballs sometimes I really put myself through the ringer. The “interviews” can range from light-hearted to hostile, goofy to profound, revealing to bewildering. Even though it may be a symptom of mental illness, I find these conversations to be very valuable. They allow me to articulate the whirlwind of abstract thoughts that swirl endlessly in my head. In doing so I’ve found that when I get asked real questions by other people I’m able to provide lucid and articulate answers. I say all of this to lead into the purpose of this revamped weekly blog. Going forward #WhiskeyWednesday is going to be an attempt to synthesize the thoughts from my endless “interviews” into a written format that just might be useful (or at least interesting to the readers. So here goes…

The Myth Of Writer’s Block:
Writing has been the most important thing is my life for years. I’ve literally scrawled volumes of semi-legible words in search for the perfect 16 bars of rap lyrics. I’ve yet to find them and doubt I ever will but I like to think I’ve come up with a pretty good bar or two in my time. Writing poses plenty of challenges but one thing I can honestly say I’ve never struggled with is what is commonly known as “Writer’s Block.” Mike Rose defines writer’s block as: “an inability to begin or continue writing for reasons other than lack of basic skill or commitment.” There seems to be a consensus in amongst most of the writing community that writer’s block is something that every writer deals with at some time. I reject this notion. Sure, there are times when I’ve sat down with the intention of writing and been unable to come up with anything however I don’t consider this to be a case of writer’s block. The reason I say this is because to me “writing” is more than just the act of writing or typing some words. In fact I would argue that the actual writing down of words is the least important part of the process. The core of writing is experience. I’ll elude to a coffee metaphor, if you turn on your coffee maker fill the tank with water begin brewing without putting coffee in the brew basket, all that you’ll ever have is a cup of hot water. This is not because the coffee maker is incapable of brewing coffee. Just like the coffee maker you as the writer can’t create what you’re trying to create without the key ingredient and experience is the coffee grinds. So when you sit down to write and nothing comes out it’s not because you’re having a “block” it’s because there’s no grinds in your brew basket. When a person first begins writing their brew basket is filled to the brim with all of the thoughts and experiences they have compiled over the years leading up to that moment when they start writing. With all this welling up inside them sitting down to write is easy, the words practically spill out of them. After a while that reservoir of thought and experience will no doubt dry up. Many writers get so caught up in that initial groundswell of creativity that they lose sight of it’s source. This is why there are so many books and stories with writers as the main character and rap songs about rapping. Writing replaces living. Some people are able to keep generating material despite that but those with slightly higher standards often lose interest in such endeavors and feel as if they’ve hit a “block.” The truth is you haven’t lost the ability to write you are just at a different step of the process. We as cognitive beings are ALWAYS writing. Our universes only exist because we are capable of perceiving them. Every waking moment and even in our sleep we are constantly perceiving and filling that reservoir. This is what people lose sight of. At some point in our growth as writers our ego kicks in and we believe that we should be able to control the power of creation on command. We feel like since we were able to sit down and spill out thousands of words at any given moment in the past we should always be able to do so. In reality we can’t and honestly I don’t think we should. What “writer’s block” really is is your brain telling you to go out and live a little…
… So when you think you’ve hit that dreaded “block” don’t sweat you are ALWAYS WRITING you’ve just got to realize that. Here’s a few things I like to do when words fail:
Read a book, listen to a song- When your own words fail turn to those of others there’s no telling when a spark strikes.
Draw, paint, sculpt, build- Even if you don’t know how just take a pencil and doodle, the simple act of crafting something out of raw materials can often grease the gears and get the wheels turning again.
Play and instrument- again even if you don’t know how tap your pen on the counter and experience the miracle of making sound out of silence
Go outside- get some sun on you face and some wind in your hair, smell some aromas listen to some sounds these are the things that experiences are made of.

Most importantly, LIVE! Go introduce yourself to a stranger, call an old friend or family member you haven’t spoken to in a long time. Get into a fist fight, go skinny dipping, kiss somebody, eat something delicious what you are actually doing when your doing these things is WRITING!

Well that wraps this one up, this was a little more verbose than I would have liked but you gotta start somewhere. Tune in next week, I’ll continue the discussion of the writing process in a more concise and rap-centric manner.

Until then enjoy this:

First of all, THANK YOU.  If you’re reading this it’s because you have an interest in what I have to say and that’s all I’ve ever really wanted…

Now on to the point of this blog,  after intense reflection on what it is that I want out of music–and more importantly life– I’ve realized that the time has come to make some drastic changes.  For the past few years I’ve put incredible pressure on myself to “make it.”  What I meant by that I’m not always sure but I certainly sacrificed a lot of personal comfort pursuing it.  I got caught up in scene politics, thinking if I showed my face enough and chopped it up with the right people, I’d make it on their radars and opportunities would come knocking.  I made it a priority to go out to every show that I could, I schmoozed and networked, I cheered my fellow artists on and sang along.  On the flip side of that I made it a point to constantly play shows.  I went through all the tedious bullshit, the e-mail back and fourths, the logistics headaches, printing fliers, putting up posters, sending out press releases, dealing with artists who had no business sharing a stage with me and not being able to pay the artists that deserved it.  I drove myself crazy doing all this, it was obsession…

Sounds good right?  Well maybe in theory but in my case it’s been slowly killing me.  All of these things cost money and require odd hours.  That combination basically added up to me being constantly broke and not having the resources or time to do what it is I always wanted to do, make music.  Some people out there will say something like “if you want to make it, you gotta do it all.”  My answer to that is this simple: FUCK THAT.  That is the corporate machine talking, they got spoiled by all these “self-made moguls” and made that the standard thus encouraging the steady decline in quality of hip hop at large… I want no part of that.  What I came to realize is that notion is part of the exploitative nature of professional hip hop.  The dudes with the money say “hey you gotta do it all” and then everybody breaks their backs trying to while the industry sits back and waits to see who rises and falls, swoops in, make their quick buck and then repeat the process over and over.  The result is talent less-hacks become cultural icons and millionaires while artists who try to actually make art are left to fight for the scraps.  I used to think that this was limited to the mainstream but the truth is it happens all the way down the ladder just to varying scales (and involving less money.)

I’ve also heard the whole “You gotta show support to get support” angle and, although at face value I agree wholeheartedly with that statement, I’ve come to learn that’s just another way of selling the dream.  That line is a disingenuous cop out that people use as a way to get you to come to their shows even though they have no interest in ever reciprocating that support.  The reason they say that is because they are barely scraping by too but they won’t admit it so they say “come out to our show, that’s the best way to get involved.”  What they’re doing is cashing in on your ambition.  They can’t help you, wouldn’t if they could but they feel like they’ve done enough to take your hard-earned money and they need it because they’re on a shoestring budget too…

Now, I’m not saying don’t hustle for your craft.  You have to work hard but if all that gets in the way of making music then what’s the point?  I’m also not saying don’t support your fellow artists.  What I’m saying is support the artists whose music you like not the artist you think you can get something from.  The reason I say this is because all of that dilutes the art form.  Make music and let the public decide…

As for what this all means for the future of Ghani Gautama music, basically it means I’m shifting my focus to writing and recording.  I’m not going to kill myself trying to stay on stage and I’m certainly not going to lose any sleep trying to be a cheerleader.  Basically I have no interest in being a “professional hip hop artist” I’m just gong to rap and let the pieces fall where they may.  I don’t give a shit about YouTube hits, Facebook likes, Twitter follows anymore.  I don’t give shit about what the blogosphere has to say.  None of that has ever been what made this music what it is.  I make this for me and I’m thankful for the people who enjoy it but I’m not going to beg you to like it.  I’m not going to spend countless hours chasing down hacks trying to convince them to type up 100 words about my next show or latest release.  I’m just going to make music and if you want to hear it come get it.

Thanks, I love you

GG

More than one person has commented to me that this is there favorite track on the album. For those of you who are cool enough to know my previous two records the sound on this track will be familiar. The beat was produced by Metrognome who made all the beats on both “Give ‘Em Enough Hope” (2008) and 2010’s “Few Aganist Many.” In addition to being directly responsible for my solo career, Metrognome was also the DJ and founding member of Street Temple Emcees, the ill-fated, 5-man crew that marks my first attempt at being a hip-hop star. It is fitting then that Metrognome made this track because the song addresses my perspective on Street Temple’s less-than-glorious demise. I’ve gone over the story more times than I’d like so we won’t get into the details but lines like “…those that hurt me most are the folks that I kept close…” and “… they weren’t equipped for the struggle/ they weren’t made for the hustle so that temple just crumbled” directly address that situation. My former group is not really the main thematic thrust of the song though. The message is one of perserverance hence “the show must go on” in the chorus and the second verse. I was attempting to vent my dissapointment concerning Street Temple Emcees and the way it shook out without resorting to bitter vitriol. “The Standstill” is also a staple of my live set and always recieves a warm reception so I suppose I did something right.

If you an still read this without squinting, you didn’t drink enough Seagram’s 7 so pour up a double and enjoy yourself…

Until next time, this has been Whiskey Wednesday

Out of the gate, Jay Qwest’s signature boom captures the ears and sparks the imagination. Within the first couple of bars his measured intensity and sure-handed delivery draw you in.  When Qwest’s long-time partner-in-rhyme, Kel, drops in on track two the picture begins to form and skipping songs becomes impossible.  Illustrate’s sonic agenda is clear and confident rich with lush melodies and woven intricately between flourishes of robust boom bap.  By the time Boog Brown and Methuzulah lend their stellar verses to “Offiseer” the listener finds their self thoroughly engrossed in a story line more akin to a P.T. Anderson film than a hip hop album.  ”Offiseer” is a clear high point in the record but there is no momentum lost as Jay Qwest continues to drive home his vision and although the guest list on this record is chock full of heavy-hitters (just check Tommy Lee Soul’s contribution to “Firewater”) Jay Qwest remains fully at the helm and proves why he’s been around as long as he has.

Front to back this is an enjoyable and compelling offering.  If I had to levy a knock against it it would be that it is almost too conceptual.  An emcee/producer team up like Jay Qwest and Illastrate could easily hold down a full-length, more traditional, record with a wider range of themes and subject matter.  I would have loved to hear how that would have sounded.  That being said, there is something to be said for artistic conviction and making the record that one sets out to make so I can’t really hold it against Jay Qwest for sticking to the program.

The Verdict: COP IT (drops 4/24/2012 on Elevated Press Records)

Greetings Gautamanation,

Welcome to the third installment of Whiskey Wednesdays. Today’s pairing will be track 3 from “Strong Medicine” entitled “What Am I Waiting For?” with Wiser’s De Luxe. I discovered Wiser’s thanks to a reccomendation from the manager of the ABC Package store in Matthews, NC. I was an instant fan, it’s a great sipping whiskey with the bite of Scotch and the robust flavors of other Canadians yet without the annoying syrupy sweetness you get from Crown Royal and the like. At $14.95 a fifth Wiser’s De Luxe is easy on both your wallet and your palette. So pick up a bottle of Wiser’s De Luxe, grab your favorite rocks glass and enjoy “What Am I Waiting For?”

Verse One:
Well the crowd is thick and the drums are kickin’/ still it feels like something’s missin’/ can’t sweat that now gotta go all out cuz I know the clock is tickin’/ and I know it’s not my mission to sit here and spit this fiction/ gotta speak the truth when I freak these loops gotta give ‘em something different/ can’t tell the same old story the same old song and dance/ this world ain’t got much for me it’s like this is my only chance/ and I won’t let it slip I’m holding it with my kung-fu grip/ cuz all the whiskey I can sip/ won’t plug the holes in this sinking ship/ but if it’s going down I’m going down with it/ the head that holds this crown is propped up by a neck that’s stiff/ cuz I’ve been sleeping in whatever cranny I can fit/ the stakes are high and still I up the ante chip by chip/ gonna build it brick by brick won’t quit ’til I’m a hit/ won’t stop until my name remains on everybody’s lips/ and I may not live to see this history I’m making/ that’s all right with me cuz I garuntee that I’m not waiting…

chorus:
What am I waiting for? What do y’all take me for? Man I can’t take no more and if I knock any harder I’m breaking down the door so just let me in

Verse Two:
I burn a fire to stay cool burn myself I am the fuel/ time’s on my side but she can be cruel so he who hesitates is a damn fool/ and Mama Gautama didn’ raise one of those/ so dough or no dough man I’m playin’ those shows/ cuz people they come and go and when you don’t ever know/ but I’m not waiting ’round for that bunker to blow/ homie slow your damn roll no need to be Rambo/ Imma get where I’m going won’t be in a Lambo/ and I know cuz I’ve been at it since way back/ tryin’ to turn my bus pass into a Maybach/ maybe not a Maybach, more like a Hybrid Civic/ but it’s gonna feel like a Maybach when I’m driving in it/ and I know the sky’s the limit as long as I grind to get it/ climbing to the clouds in proud defiance of cynics/ life it’s not infinite so ’til it’s finally finished/ just give me my 20 minutes and my drink tickets…
Chorus
Verse Three:
From the self-destructive habits that derail my greatest schemes/ to the women of my past who haunt all of my dreams/ as daunting as it seems Imma face it with a grin/ cuz I know that no one else was made to make it in my skin/ so I play this game to win but I’m quick to change the rules/ cuz I’m really getting sick of waiting ’round on all these fools/ to finally decide they’re ready to face the fire/ I’ve been marching through this bitch so long I’m geting tired/ live wire, the simple goal to which I aspire only involves happiness that’s all I require/ so if you object step up and catch wreck/ and let these people tell you where you need to step next/ cuz I’m never half-steppin no matter what type of kicks I rock/ Docs to classic Reebok’s Dunks to Birkenstocks/ put it on my tab homie I guarantee that I’ll work it off/ see that’s purpose y’all until the curtains fall…

This song was my personal assesment of my music career as of the summer of 2010. I had spent a year couch surfing in between trips out of town (I lived in Atlanta at the time.) My album, “Few Against Many” had come out the previous spring and I was basically going all in with doing music. The opening couplet of this song explains my state of affairs “Well the crowd is thick and the drums are kickin’/ still it feels like something’s missin’…” Basically, I had managed to get my music to the point where I was playing shows regularly and people were responding but I was also poor and essentially homeless and no matter how positive of a response I was getting at shows, at the end of the night I faded back into obscurity with no one outside of my immediate circle of friends paying much attention to my exploits. Despite that fact I also felt that I had turned a corner artistically, had finally discovered my true voice and was on my way to mastering my instrument. I moved to Charlotte a few months after writing this song and it’s meaning really took life as I began the proccess of breaking into a new market armed only with my existing catalog and the confidence that comes with a track record of accomplishments that many can’t boast of. Ultimately this song is me taking responsiblity for my future and realizing that there is no time like the present and no person better equiped than myself to propel my music to new heights.

And there is another Whiskey Wednesday on the books, pour yourself a double if you caught the Fugazi reference (oh irony) and give “What Am I Waiting For?” another listen.

Cheers,
GG

What am I getting at? PEOPLE are scary from time to time. That will never change. We are a sadistic and hateful species and we are hell bent on destroying ourselves for no reason other that the need to prove that one set of physical features is “better” than another set of physical features. At least the worst of us are. That being said I can no longer remain silent about the false equivalence and muddying of the waters that I have seen surrounding the Trayvon Martin case. As much as I think that the Constitution is about as obsolete a document as the King James Bible, I still believe that George Zimmerman deserves his day in court. Nonetheless, I’ve seen too much complaining from “conservative” White America, Juan Williams, Herman Cain and other hand-picked Uncle Toms (yeah I said it) about the lack of outrage over black-on-black crime. To that I can do nothing but call bullshit. My own experiences tell me otherwise. I’ve lived– and this is no badge of honor, just a statement of fact– in predominately black neighborhoods before. In fact, one such place, Plantation Creek in Sandy Springs, Georgia had the esteemed honor of having more 911 calls made to the Fulton County Police Department concerning violent crime in 2006 than any other neighborhood in the county. In my time as a resident of Plantation Creek, I had a flier on my door at least twice a week from concerned citizens outraged about the violence (mostly black on black and brown on brown) that was plaguing the community. In addition to that, at least once a month someone knocked on my door and personally invited me to attend a town-hall type meeting concerning how citizens could address that same violence. Add that to the hundreds of neighborhoods just like mine in the metro Atlanta area and then add that the the thousands of communities facing the exact same issues nation-wide and I fail to see where Mr. Williams and Mr. Cain and their fascist Faux News “massas” (yes I said it) find a lack of outrage. Even worse are the fearful crackers (I said it again) out their digging up examples of black on white crime and feebly asking “where is the outrage?” This is the most disturbing part. I expect the spin-doctoring from the corporate elite but average citizens struggling through the same human condition? My head hangs heavy for the state of humanity…
TRUE, white people are sometimes victimized by black people. It’s happened to me, more than once, and probably for the simple fact that I was a white guy in a black neighborhood. The difference? Never are such crimes carried out under the auspices of upholding law and order. Sure, a gang of black men invaded the home of a white Tennessee couple, committed unspeakable sadistic acts against them and murdered them in cold blood. Sure, two black men, one 17 one in his early twenties murdered and robbed a white female UNC student. The latter of these incidents has even been labeled “racial profiling.” I’ll even give you that. Yes, I’m sure a petite blonde twenty-something white woman walking by herself is the target of a certain type of”racial profiling.” The question is by whom? Racial profiling by criminals is a far cry from racial profiling by the authorities (or even worse those who fancy themselves the authorities.) In the previously mentioned cases, all alleged assailants were arrested and are either currently awaiting trial or have been convicted by a jury of their peers. George Zimmerman remains free. So yes, Al Sharpton is a rabble-rouser. I’m sure he relishes in his camera time, but he’s also an outspoken black man in America and has seen first hand the effects of institutionalized racism. Yes, the national media has covered the Trayvon Martin case more extensively than other black-on-black and black-on-white murder cases. The reason being, THERE IS NO NEED TO COVER SUCH CASES!!! I challenge all of you to watch your local news every day for one week and take note of how many of the alleged perpetrators reported on are black or brown. If they aren’t black or brown, I’m willing to bet that they fit the stereotype of “white trash.” That’s because when affluent white people commit crimes an expensive defense attorney–often with personal ties to the judge who presides– carefully navigates the legal system to ensure minimal damage. When a black, brown or poor white person commits a crime they become a mascot for fear-mongering and ratings boosting. All you folks out there who demand more media coverage of black-on-black, brown-on-brown and black/brown-on-white crime, just turn on your TV, you don’t even need cable, it’s there in digital HD at 12pm, 5pm, 7pm and 11pm…

One final point, to those of you who want to elude to the “stand your ground” laws currently in place in Florida, allow me to bring up a case that occurred in Georgia, a state that has a very similar law on the books. It goes like this: A man is leaving a bar in the popular neighborhood of East Atlanta around 2am, he is accosted by an armed assailant who attempts to rob him. The man draws his legally licensed and registered fire arm and shoots the assailant whom later dies. The man is taken into custody and held until trial where he made his case for self-defense and was acquitted. Let’s compare and contrast this case to the Trayvon Martin case. Both involve fatal shootings, both evoked the “stand your ground” self-defense plea. However, in Florida the man who was fatally shot was unarmed where in Georgia the man who was fatally shot brandished a weapon and attempted to rob the shooter. Furthermore in Georgia the shooter was taken into custody, held, stood trial and was acquitted whereas in Florida the shooter was given his gun back and let free. The laws in both states are almost identical in their language– the NRA saw to that– but there is one blaring difference between the cases. The Georgia shooter was black and shot another black man, the Florida shooter was not Black and shot a Black man. The Georgia shooter is a friend of mine and I don’t blame him for his actions, I also believe he SHOULD have been taken into custody and required to make his case in front of a judge. That is all I am asking for George Zimmerman, I can’t speak for others but from what I gather that is all they are asking for as well…

Cheers Gautamanation,

I sprung for some Bushmill’s on this one to be thematically accurate to today’s subject, “Dance Cowboy”

Here’s the words:

Verse One:
Here we go again/ Bushmills on the rocks Kush up in the wind/ another venue full of single serving friends/ that’s the life I’m living ain’t no reason to pretend/ and I don’t want it to end/ so I ain’t gonna break man I barely even bend/ and I swear that I’ll extend this play to the very last second like Big Ben/ Ha Ha, that might have been chosen in poor preference/ punk rock pals all mad at the sports reference/ punk rock gals ask if I want more breakfast/ all the reason for me to act more reckless/ but the days turn into weeks turn into months turn into years/ and the squares turn into shots turn into blunts turn into beers/ so keep fronting I’m tackling frontiers/ y’all do what you want but I ain’t done here…

Chorus:
I don’t even know what to say/ on a song that doesn’t sound so cliche/ but if you ain’t with me than you’re in my way/ so please let that music play…

Verse Two:
And I know how it goes man/ dance cowboy dance stay on your toes man/ ask me bad plan’s better then no plan/ but if I’m wrong then I guess I better go stand/ on the corner with a cardboard sign/ that says give me a quarter and I’ll spit you a rhyme/ but it’s a recession I’m lucky to get a dime/ it’s all penny’s and nickels but I stack ‘em up high/ the slow rise taking it one day at a time/ enjoy each lung of the ladder I climb/ gather the ingredients and bake my pie/ so I never have to wait in line to take my slice/ the down and dirty is I’m something that you’ve never seen/ I’m pushing 30 and still dressing like I’m seventeen/ you put the work in and you can achieve any dream/ and my purpose is certain put that on everything…

Chorus

Verse Three:
All I need is a solid night’s sleep/ and a girl that don’t trip over the jobs I don’t keep/ no room for slipping I’m already neck deep/ plus whatever dough I’m sitting on’s gone by next week/ but I’m cool in these old clothes they fit me plus/ I don’t need riches to live richly so/ you can call me wannabe redneck hippy/ but if I’m going out I’m taking Glen Beck with me/ oooh that’s a political statement/ like days when I used to only spit in my basement/ it was all so simple but it got complicated/ it’s crazy I’m wondering where all them days went/ no time for looking back/ Master P “Ghetto D” the closest I came to cooking crack/ full speed straight forward on a crooked track/ I guess that’s a wrap let’s bring the hook on back

Don’t try and read into this on too much… this is the party jam of the record… I really just wanted to make a fun song, I mean I reference a professional athlete for the first time in my career. This song is more about punchlines and flow but I had to sneak a few little gems of “conscious” stuff, lines like “I don’t need riches to live richly” or my Glenn Beck diss. The hook really describes the thrust of the song. I don’t really know what it takes to make the “new shit” but I’m going to do this old shit with style and craftsmanship so either support or jog on because this momentum is not letting up. I do have to make mention of the Master P reference, all I can say is that being a Southern rapper, and being subjected to the Souljah Toys and Roscoe Trashes of the world for a decade, one longs for the No Limit golden days.

until next time…

GG