Why Do They Want You When You’re Taken?

Girls Says: So…
Guy Says: So…
Girl Says: Since when were you in a relationship?…
Guy Laughs: Wow you’ve got something to say too!?!
Girl Says: Well yeah I saw your relationship status, interesting
Guy Says: Yeah thought I might as well make it official
Girl Says: Damn, why are all the good guys always taken?
Guy Says: Because some of you girls take too long to figure out who’s best
Girl Says: Maybe, just make sure she treats you right, or I might have to take her place
Guy Says: Ha! Thanks
Girl Says: Im being serious… If you wasn’t taken the things me and you would do…wow
Guy Laughs
In His Mind: And you’re telling me this NOW as supposed to a few weeks ago?!?!

Whyyyyyy!?! What is it about men or women in relationships that attract a collage of admiration and sudden affection confessionary from single friends, associates and/or newcomers? The statistics may be varied but the fact remains that once me becomes we, there’s a sudden flock of he’s or she’s ready to pounce…it’s an interesting coincidence.

Where did they suddenly come from? When did they start noticing your features? Why are they NOW laughing at your jokes and adding more o’s to their lol’s? Such are the different mindsets of the world there isn’t one sole explanation for why this happens; there are however many reasons as to what it is that makes them suddenly feel the need to disturb your relationship. So…

WHY DO THEY WANT YOU WHEN YOU'RE TAKEN? READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

The Legacy

"when you walk away never look back. let the room explode at the back of you like a fuckin' action movie! just keep walking... slowly" - MARLON WAYANS Twitter

Simply put, leave a legacy.

Lay the foundations for what you're about to do, those initial small steps make all the difference

Enthusiasm is a birthright, you don't have to reach too far for it. Change your way of thinking

Grasp the right opportunities that come your way; "what ifs" are a burden, "what next" implies movement

Acquire Knowledge, you're never too old to learn. Research your field, competition and nurture the talent you already possess

Control your destiny, don't let "haters" or those who don't believe in you stir you away from your goal

You are what you say and do, make it count

"Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path – and leave a trail.”

Hip Hop? No R&B is Dead

Had to bring this 2008 article I wrote back because certain people are mistaking certain tracks for R&B, Enjoy the read...

For as long as I can remember, the pervasive influence of music has been sustained through it’s uncanny ability to relate to human emotion as well as diversify it’s sound to please the masses. One genre in particular that represented such claims was R’n’B which up until present has been able to re-invent itself time and time again providing music for the mind and soul.

From the late 80’s onwards R’n’B was established and divided into different forms of eclectic and soulful sounds including Soul, New Jack Swing and Neo-Soul. These sub genres were the basis of the urban scene and introduced an array of amazing solo, duo and group singers. Whereas a large majority enjoyed R’n’B, the minimum record sales from capable artists in the 90’s meant that recognition was minimal amongst and against the influx of Rock, Country and Pop album sales.

Corporate strategy was therefore introduced by music labels in which they would produce R’n’B superstars; controlling their image and distribution of a certain type of R’n’B I like to call Urban pop. This would allow music sales to rise and is now seen as the forefront of contemporary R’n’B. Although this fills the pockets of CEOs, executives and artists alike, the strategy has somewhat stifled the identity that was and should be R’n’B. We are now accustomed to hearing artists sing popular songs rather than the rhythmic sounds of true R’n’B.

What is R’n’B?

Rhythm and Blues is the definition and representation of this sound often blending funk, dance and/or soul. There is a certain “limited but just right” level of exuberance shown in R’n’B music which makes it enjoyable to listen to as a genre. The combination of Poetry, Feeling, Flow and soul of the artist (hence where the sub genre “soul” came from) enabled listeners to have an emotional attachment to the content and meaning of an R’n’B song. However it seems in this era that these components of R’n’B have disappeared and the overall essence of the genre has left. The content is still the same, with the words portraying soulful stories however the substance has gone….Blues with no Rhythm.

One of the major reasons for this decline is the lack of true Rhythm and Blues artists in both the UK and the US. The 90’s (and partly noughties) had an abundance of talent filling our Discmans and stereos with R’n’B music.


Do you remember…

UK: Lynden David Hall, Beverley Knight, Omar, Eternal, Floetry, Terri Walker
US: Blackstreet, Jodeci, H-Town, Shai, Boyz II Men, SWV, Keith Sweat, 702, TLC, Brownstone, Montell Jordan, Next, Monica, Tamia, Lauryn Hill (etc etc etc)

UK have tried to bring in R’n’B influenced artists but their time has been short lived leaving it an almost non-existent genre in the UK. This wont surprise many as there has never been a sole year where a flood of UK R’n’B artists are on the scene at once even though there have been a number of them spread over the years. What makes the US list interesting is the number of groups involved in the generation of soul and swing. Today’s industry shows a decrease in melodic groups representing the genre. The solo artists are scattered around in different sub genre’s however the so called forefront of R’n’B has artists involved in Urban Pop and judging by the success it may be this way forever.

Contemporary R’n’B is dominated by the likes of Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Rihanna, T-Pain and Akon. All are talented, creative and entertaining artists, but they have been moulded by their labels into Urban Pop Figures. This wades well to the popularity of R’n’B but doesn’t truly represent the genre’s art form. Some may argue the case, as all of the named artists have produced songs that rival or emulate the sound of the 90’s; however the difference between the sound of today and the 90’s is that at least 90% of songs on an album in the soul/swing period had production representing R’n’B whereas today’s albums have at least 30-40% (often much more) urban pop tunes (club bangers). The search for sales rather than sound has reached even the legends in R’n’B with the King, Queen, Prince and Princess (R.Kelly, Mary J Blige, Usher and Beyonce) of the genre having to accommodate their styles and sounds to the up-tempo expectations of their labels and ultimately fans of popular music.

R’n’B artists such as Bobby Valentino are dropped by their labels due to record sales. This is no coincidence as Bobby V is known for producing tracks with more soul orientated content and flow. It seems as though the more records an R’n’B artist sells; the less soulful influence is involved.
LOWER RECORD SALES: NEO SOUL/SOUL - Musiq, India Arie, Dwele, Jill Scott, Anthony Hamilton, Erykah Badu
R&B - Trey Songz, Brian Mcknight, Donell Jones, Tank, Tyrese, Faith Evans

HIGHER RECORD SALES: URBAN POP - Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Rihanna, Akon, T-Pain, Ciara

With the gap between Urban Pop and R’n’B record sales increasing it seems more and more likely that the genre as we know it will never be the same again. Could we be heading into a change of name for the genre? Is R’n’B dead? Well put it this way, if it isn’t dead it’s gone beyond a life support machine and is on its very last breath.

Is A Title Needed?

It's been relatively long since I've been taken aback by someone's theory that wasn't on the same wavelength as mine. Lo and behold it wasn't a new found discovery or an epiphany, just an examination of current affairs. It started off with a question..

The Theorist: Do you see yourself getting married?
Broadband: Yeah
The Theorist: Hmmm
Broadband: Hmmm ok or Hmmm I dont believe you?
The Theorist: Just Hmmm
Broadband: Yeah good luck with that. How about you?
The Theorist: No!
Broadband: Why?

"Marriage is merely a glamorous ceremony followed by a generic contract, I dont need it to consumate or define the bond between me and my partner" - The Theorist

Followed by three abrupt and interchanging diagonal finger clicks she sat down proud of herself. I laughed for a few minutes but she made a valid point. Indeed it's the opinion of more than one of my friends that marriage is not an option; whereas some have yet to experience love and could possibly be deemed naive to pass judgement, there are those that have been there and made their reasons justifiable. Thirty minutes after The Theorist sprung her analogy it got me thinking.

Is Marriage a manufactured tradition made for social structure?

It's arguable yet intriguing that we are more or less geared and guided towards one direction in life. Although our journeys are different and some refuse to follow the concepts, it's still the majority that view this direction as the path of happiness and contentment. And that is:

Academia --> Job --> Relationship --> Marriage --> Family

The path is almost a birthright that most feel fine with but can appear like a forced structure built by societies' standards. There are no rules that say you have to follow this tradition and the rebels in alot of us dont but this seems like the general jist of life's journey and Marriage is fittingly the breaker of the middle ground between one side of contenment/happiness and the other.

Does love need a title via contract? Are relationships bound by wedlock? Or is The Theorist seeing past the initial or overall values of marriage and even religion?
If it is indeed part of the system then kudos to the inventor because this is one artificial battery thats gonna forever be caught up in the matrix.

What do you think?

"Love: a temporary insanity, curable by marriage"

Women Bend, Men Break

Well done Jamie Foxx for coming up with this phrase two weeks ago on his Foxxhole radio show (the same show that had the infamous Miley Cyrus diss). It is a complex analysis made simple by it's abiding definition -"Women bend, Men break". You see relationships as we know grow from strength to strength with the constant rotation of love, trust and commitment. A bond is created between a man and a woman based on these foundations and we often find a relationship blossoming. HOWEVER there comes a time...scratch that numerous times when this relationship is tested and 8 times out of 10 that so called strength portrayed becomes curiously fragile.

It wouldnt be accurate to say every test has the same reaction but more often than not you find in circumstancial scenarios women bend while men break. Now when we say women bend we are refering to their reaction to a negative scenario that can affect a relationship....the woman is clearly affected (hence the bending) but rather than show outright anger she conceals it and saves the issue for a rainy day. When it comes to the man on the other hand he has less tolerance and his reaction is instant and somewhat volatile (hence the breaking) towards the situation. If you pay your attention to the scenarios below......

Who is that?

You see your partner talking to someone of the opposite sex, and they are friendlier than usual

Woman Bends: She'll see her man talking to another girl and even though it upsets her, she wont react. Instead she'll collect her thoughts and save it for another day

Man Breaks: He sees her talking to a guy and it's an instant reaction, he's angry and lets her AND the guy she's talking to know it.

New Friends

Your partner has a new friend of the opposite sex that they speak to often

Woman Bends: She'll wait (and hope) for her man to tell her who the new friend is. If he doesnt say, she'll ask about her and ask to meet her

Man Breaks: He'll ask (complain) about her new friend and request less time be spent speaking to him. When meeting the friend he gives him the cold shoulder and the eyes to let him know. The new friend unsurprisingly rarely speaks to her ever again

Holiday in Napa?

Your partner's going on a party holiday....in Napa

Woman Bends: Has her suspicions but quietly trusts her partner wil behave himself (pssh..in Napa? haha)

Man Breaks: He knows she's likely to misbehave especially with some of the girls she's going with. He's not happy, he gets into an argument which either forces her to misbehave or forces HIM to join her in Napa

You aint getting any

Your partner aint in the mood for sex, simple

Woman Bends: She shows anger but doesnt complain for too long, she collects her thoughts

Man Breaks: Its the end of the world, he's fuming and doesnt know what to do with himself, he has no control

Miscellaneous Objects

You see something in the car that doesnt belong to you...and sure as hell dont belong to your partner....but whoever it belongs to is the same sex as you

Woman Bends: Save it for a Rainy Day

Man Breaks: Everyday is a rainy day

What time you call this?

Your partner comes home late....real late after a party. They look and smell different

Woman Bends: She doesnt say anything, she logs it into her memory

Man Breaks: If he hasnt called her already before she even hits the door, he'll turn into CSI Miami.com/ForensicDetectives and go mad!

The scenarios dont lie......the scenarios do not lie! So I guess after that the next thing is to look at the even wider perspective and disect why. Why do women bend and men break? The truth is I dunno, maybe it's control issues. Reading an essay once the writer interstingly suggested that there's sometimes a gap between a man's ability to reason and his ability to feel whereas women can connect reason with emotion whilst also knowing that reason can't solve all emotional issues.

We all like to be in control of our life...men more or less take pride in being in "control" of their relationship and when they sense that their "control" has been comprimised they react aggressively (masculinity revisited) because they aren't used to not being in "control", they havent gained the necessary knowledge of how to react. Women know that breaking hardly creates control so they wait, they bend...they are tactful...they wait til the man is at a vulnerable or weak position and then they unleash. Does that make women are stronger than men?....well thats another blog post in itself. What do you think?

"The weaker the argument, the stronger the words"

It's Who AND What You Know

Dont ever let anyone distill in your head that "It's Not What You Know, It's Who You Know" That's a whole bunch of crap. You really think someone you know will let you progress without some kinda knowledge? if the answer is yes then your progression in life will be somewhat stifled by your inability to learn and adapt it to experience.

Who and What you know combined is more powerful than one or the other. The more skills learnt the better and being able to combine your gift, talent, intelligence and creativity with communication and people skills will only provide a stronger foundation for future growth. If there's anything I learnt from my years at Uni it's that it was a platform for higher learning academically and socially, Network, Network, Network. The socio-technological era we live in only adds weight to this with modern technology geared towards communication and feedback from each other.

This being said however dont feel that if you dont know people that you're headed in the wrong direction. The truth is "who you know" is just an added bonus to "what you know" but dont let not knowing someone stop you from acheiving your dream...If Opportunity Doesn't Knock, Build A Door. Acquire knowledge to solidify What You Know, and if you dont network just know that at the very least the one person who knows you (the man upstairs) will guide you through.

"Only the educated are free"

Just A Friend

Guy Says: How long have we been talking now?
Girl Says: 6 hours
Guy Says: No...I mean wow... but I meant how long have we known each other?
Girl Says: a few months
Guy Says: feels like years
Girl Says: I know right? you're probably one of the few people let alone guys that I feel comfortable talking to
Guy Says: same Akward silence
Girl and Guy Says: So.....oh
Girl Says: You first
Guy Says: Ok, Lets say hypothetically speaking we were together and...
Girl Laughs
Guy Says: Why you laughing?
Girl Says: Haha I dunno, Me and you together just sounds weird, you're like a brother to me

Echoes ring through the guys head: "a brother to me"...."a brother to me"...."a brother to me"

I can think of only two more instances where a girl could tell a guy something that pretty much shatters his world. Its a hard pill to swallow and an even harder zone to get out of. The moment a girl brings the terminology "brother" or "friend" in a situation where a guy's trying to be with her, he has to concede defeat whether he wants to believe it or not.

Imagine an olympic stadium represents the girl's thoughts, the girl is a gold medal and the guy is a 400metre hurdler who has reached the final; he has "trained" all his life for this moment and now he's up for the prize against other worthy opponents (random dudes after her). The race begins and he's off, jumping hurdle after hurdle with consumate ease. He jumps over the nerves hurdle, jumps over the sense of humour hurdle, jumps over the ambition hurdle, then it gets a little tense and it hits between the 200 & 300metre mark. At this point it's his perserverance thats pushing him as he knows the last 100 metres beckons; he jumps over the likes and dislikes hurdles, jumps over the ex hurdles, clatters the "how many" hurdles but still manages to stay on his feet. He now reaches the final stretch, he's in the lead and is on the verge of claiming everything he's worked hard for. All of a sudden as he gets to the last few hurdles and there's a change in logistics, he's losing abit of breath, has he trained too hard? Now he's relying on just his adrenalin as his opponents are catching up. He's still in the lead and believes he can do it but the next hurdle has a different look to it, it seems jumpable from afar but as he gets closer there is something more solidified about this hurdle...ah yes, this is the friendship/brother hurdle. He skips across the track towards the hurdle and jumps but his front leg gets caught in the hurdle and he falls to the ground. Time moves in slow motion as he sees his opponents run and jump OVER the friendship/brother past him towards the finish line. He gets up but he knows it's too late, for as much as he is the crowd favourite he cannot claim the prize....pissed!

No guy I know likes when someone they're after hits them with the "like a friend/brother" tag. It's a mental and physical drain to a guy's system as he has spent quality time getting to know the girl and vice-versa; the mental gap has already been bridged and the physical was there from the get go so he's now feenin for her. What happens now?

As any guy would do they try to retrace their steps as to where it all went wrong. Was it when he told her his weaknesses? Did he play one too many of her favourite slow jams in the background? Was he procrastinating in asking her out? Did he play the good samaritan and spend maybe one minute/hour too long talking about her ex? Who knows!! What he does know is that he now has to sit there with the shattered memories of what could have been....for what awaits him could be more devastating than ever; her calling him to speak about OTHER guys and asking for advice. And like a good friend he is and has been to her he gives her the advice she needs to hear knowing fully well he should be that guy.

She thanks him and even coins the phrase I love you but he knows its a "friend" thing. All that's left to do now is cry like a little school girl.

There is no moral or solution to this story because frankly it can happen to the best of us but at least it answers the question on whether girls and guys can be friends....yes, yes they can, hahaha.

"Love is blind, friendship closes it's eyes"

Are We Nosy?

So we've got social networking sites, reality TV shows, advanced google mapping and that girl who stares across the road when you're leaving your house making you that much more paranoid about what she's planning...no? maybe thats just me.

Either way the first three modes of "entertainment" have got me wondering whether there's a sudden burst of subtle voyeurism in the minds of it's users. You take Facebook for instance and disect what it's used for...the benefits are obvious, catching up with friends, networking, contacting people when you havent got minutes/credit (good times), sharing files etc but then what happens in between that? Fortunately for Mark Zuckerberg however and unfortunately for us Facebook can become addictive and you find yourself roaming for friends out of bordeom checking up on their photos, relationship statuses, eavesdropping on their conversations with a mutual friend or with a randomer, or your on the receiving end of an unwanted add/message from someone who's seen a photo of you in their school friend's twice removed cousin's facebook rave...you know the one where you're in a photo with your three friends holding a champagne glass in those new sharp megapixel cameras.... or maybe you're that person who adds them lol.

Social networks have kinda taken two directions. The first direction is the original purpose and the second is straight voyeurism/nosiness/"inner" behaviour. Its not our faults I guess, these mediums are just designed to make us be the receiver or the trigger of such behaviour. Take Twitter for another example, it is again great for networking, communication and promotion but from another perspective it's just an ever updating list of statuses about what everybody's up to...nosy!! I have fallen for the trap a couple of times since being on twitter but it's hard not to since thats all it is, you have to "follow" each other to make sense of it all so essentially it's a networking stalker starter kit. It's the closest you'll get to speaking to certain celebs/superstars so I guess thats ok....yep nothing more fun than making friends with famous people who dont talk back.

Then there's the reality TV shows which are beginning to wipe out original programming (still kinda pissed about Trouble TV getting locked off, re-runs or not). I used to wonder why there wasn't any innovative programmes on TV til I realised that viewers just dont watch it. No ad revenue for TV networks means bankruptcy and so they venture into the world of "reality" and make shows where viewers can participate. The public love eavesdropping, its what the word "public" is based on, trust me. As for the google map innovation, well it doesnt take a genius to know what that may lead to. All in all I cant help but think media mediums have helped illustrate a fact that we all have known at the back of our minds, we are nosy!!!

"The things most people want to know about are usually none of their business. It's a 50/50 on whether they can make it their business with positive outcome"

Its Hard To Get Why We Still Play Hard To Get

"Life is a game, I just play it to play it" - Jay-Z

Contradictory behaviour never ceases to amaze me when it comes to us and our behaviours. In the very same aspects of life where games are considered negative (love, relationship) we continue to play those very same games in an attempt to get or get the better of one another....fuuny. Im gonna try very briefly to understand the "hard to get" theory via the female contingent. The 21st century has unleashed the most docile yet independent species on the planet...women! Women generally know what and who they want and can usually have which they want sometimes when they want; but the concern turns to "How" they want it.

This post far from refers to all women, generalising would be boring...and untrue of course, but a substantial amount of women are flip-siding the definition of dolicty which in result causes them to "play" hard to get. But why? Well the initial why is easy. Some women dont want to come across easy, they dont want the man to lose interest after he gets them, they want to know how interested the guy is and whether he is willing to work hard for her. I get that part and they're all good reasons but isnt using the "hard to get" method to acquire such knowledge playing games? and we know how women "hate" games.

I was under the impression that games and love dont mix, and while that stage of the relationship isnt love it is initially a platform for love which is supposed to be a no game zone. Some men love the chase no question (I do on occasion) but some of us dont (I dont on many the occasion) and when games are introduced a women has turned (effectively on purpose) a yes or no situation into a variety of thoughts from the male perspective. He is now wondering not only whether he should continue or not but whether the woman is gonna leave him chopped and skrewed, whether the she is worthy of a relationship or a Hit & Run, etc etc. While women see this is as a test to seperate the men from the boys they are failing to recognise that after a man has proclaimed his interest in a woman and laid the cards on the table he has delivered an ultimatum, games should rarely be played at this point. Playing games can easily result in the Boomerang theory (watch the movie).

Hard to get should be at most a natural trait and not a tested theory. Say What's Real: If you aren't sure whether you wanna give a guy your number because of previous troubles or you aint feeling him, just say it! dont encourage hope. Dont cancel dates just to see if he'll crack, tell him you need to trust him first. It aint that hard is it? That being said "hard to get" does create a fun challenge when both are aware and willing to partake in such activity. But when they aint, its time consuming and only begs the question whether relationships are founded on trust, love and GAMES!

"Never pretend to a love or like which you do not actually feel, for love is not ours to command"

North London Stand Up!

There's always a period in modern music where the geographical aspect plays a major part in a genre. If we look a few years back Hip-Hop was dominated by the influence of New York rappers and lifestyle in the states (LL, Jay-Z, Big L, Nas, Busta Rhymes, Wu-Tang etc) while R'n'B had Atlanta crooners and songstresses lighting up the charts. In the UK, South and East London bred the more popular faces of UK Garage and later on Grime (Heartless Crew, So Solid, Wiley, Kano, Lethal B etc). Now we fast forward to the latter stages of the "noughties" decade and the southern influence is more than apparent in Hip-Hop stateside but UK Hip-Hop and Grime is more spread out. However it seems from recent exposure that North London is breeding a new force of talent AND artistry.

Now Im not gonna pretend that Im the biggest fan of Grime/UK Hip-Hop but I appreciate talent when I see it and over the past year or so I've seen alot of progress in both genres especially from the North side of London. In my opinion North has the best UK rapper in Sway, fair do's he hasn't reached his peak just yet but thats even more testiment to his talent and he has a flow not emulated anywhere in the UK. There's been a lot of talk about him retiring early but fingers crossed Akon can make a bigger star out of him because the potential is there.

Chipmunk is doing alot in the scene right now and after winning best newcomer at the Mobos Im hoping he can push on; Im biased when it comes to him mainly because he went to the school of my sixth-form and is part of my cousin's music label but at 18 he's definitely gonna be on top when he reaches his lyrical peak. Wretch 32 is another beast and deserves big props. Lyrically he's nearly untouchable in London and you can see his influences have given his delivery a much needed boost. His last mixtape was dope, get to know.

Scorcher, Northstar, G, Marvell, Ram and a host of others along with the R'n'B influences of the likes of Lemar, Ny and Keisha White are beginning to push North London to the forefront of the underground/mainstream music scene. Now I know other Londoners will have something to say about it (especially East) but Im gonna go ahead and be biased/controversial and say North London may not have the most amount of musically talented artists in the capital but they have the best.....Hmm then again East are doing alot too. Ok I'll get back to you on that statement.

"Magnified. Undeniable. Sustained. Intense. Contagious.....thats MUSIC"

A Valentine's Compilation

February 14th to me is just a saturday but I wont shy away from the fact that it's a special day for the ladies. It's that fake holiday with a positive message where men show their more sensitive side and women lap up the presents, love and commitment showed to them by a signifcant other. Yes Valentines Day is here to stay and even as a singleton we're just as much affected by this event as couples. According to cards and text messages I have 7 secret admirers (altogether now "woooo") which I take on with the humility and modesty of Kanye West...kidding . Only problem is that they're secret admirers so how do I exactly act on it when I dont know where they came from? I call the numbers but no response; its a fun game...for now. Didnt we stop that at the teeange stage? Nonetheless I won't be taking "Miss Right" out this weekend as I have a birthday to attend (hopefully one that will include a string of singletons). My friend asked me to make a playlist for them, which only means they want something that will guarantee them action so I went through my collection and came up with three lists, burned them to CDs and sent them to his address. They're alright. The First Playlist is below. What do you think?

PS: - I endorse AND promote safe sex and if you decide to add these on your own playlist you WILL guarantee yourself action, so use protection!!!

Aaliyah - Come Over

112 - Sweet Love


Ginuwine - So Anxious


Adina Howard - ButtNaked


Floetry - Say Yes


Floetry - Getting Late


R.Kelly - Seems Like You're Ready


Silk - Meeting In My Bedroom


H-Town - Knockin the Boots


Jodeci - My Heart Belongs to You


Faith Evans - Soon As I Get Home


SWV - All Night Long


Joe - All The Things


R.Kelly - Sex Me


Tank - I Deservee


Ne-Yo - Say It


Tweet - My Place


Ghetto Romeo & Sassey - I Just Wanna Kiss You


R.Kelly - The Greatest Sex

J Dilla - Greatest Producer

Press Play

Quincy Jones, Babyface, The Neptunes, Dr Dre, DJ Premier, Bryan Michael Cox, Tim & Bob are all up there amongst my favourite producers of all time but with the exception of Timbaland no other producer has made a big impression on me as much as J "Jay Dee" Dilla. JD's influence on the rise of Neo-Soul in mid 90's was defining and understated; he worked with the finest in Hip-Hop and traced the genre all the way to it's roots to bring out the heart and soul. He was your favourite producer's favourite producer, he was just that good.

Raging from Detroit the rapper/producer was responsible for the forming of underrated hip-hop group Slum Village and worked in a production supergroup called The Ummah with two members of A Tribe Called Quest and later on Raphael Saadiq. What I enjoyed most about his production was the simplicity of it. Not many can pull off a beat with simple patterns but make it speak a thousand words without an artist even singing/rapping over it. This was more or less the reason why so many conscious artists were able to work with him as the beat acted as a guide to their patterns of thought.

"Sometimes, fixation can be a good thing and sometimes it can be bad. There'd be days when I wouldn't eat at all, because I'd be in the basement working all day" - J Dilla

The list of classic productions is endless, I cant even go through all of them but check here for his discography. My playlist on the right hand side sports a large percentage of J.Dilla's work and no doubt I will add more in fture. Q-Tip, Slum Village, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Common, De la Soul and Pharcyde to name a few are some of the name's he worked with and it was only after his untimely death in 2006 on this day that people began to realise his influence in music. Sometimes I wish he was able to take himself more mainstream just for the world to understand how great a producer he was, then again his behind the secnes and underground status is what made him a special entity in the first place. I salute J Dilla as one of the, if not thee greatest producer of all time.

"Music is the one incorporeal entrance into the higher world of knowledge which comprehends mankind but which mankind cannot comprehend"

When Will I Get Married?

Woke up today to a text; you know when you get a text half-asleep and you read it, acknowledge it for 2 secs then go back to sleep? Did that but then I processed the words from the text in my head and got up quickly!!

"T is getting MARRIED in September. So keep that month free"

Shock and happiness went hand in hand as I stretched and yawned. Happiness at one of my closest friend's finally finding the woman of his dreams and the shock at having to eventually spend money on yet another suit (the credit is crunching, the credit is munching). While sending a congratulatory message to T, I honed in on the scenario: "2 down, 3 to go". Each year since 2006 a close acquaintance of mine outside of family has gotten married and I think to myself "damn! who's next?". The truth is, it could be me. Back in sixth-form/college we all used to joke about who would get married first to last and I was always the third one chosen out of the five of us. We make these predictions out of jest but judging by the three of us that are left, its bound to be me next lol (right Mas?). 6 to 7 years on and now the sudden realisation of T's engagement means 2 out of the five of us will be happily married by the end of 2009 (T and darkman). Just like at darkman's reception, I know that T's ceremony is gonna have me thinking about what life has in store.


We're approaching our mid-twenties (still young right?) fast and although life has so much in store and doesn't promise any guarantees I cant help but think my time is coming. We're all settling or at least trying to settle down now and it's a surreal but beautiful thing to see how everyone's matured over the years. I've seen and experienced alot of marriages breakdown and crumble but it's made my belief even stronger that mine with time, perserverance and love will work. Im not saying Im getting married in 2010, uh uh unlikely (I'll leave that year to Muffin lol) but I know God has planned it well for me. Lets put a date on it just because; Broadband will be married at the age of 28 on his wife's birthday. Location and Song to be decided. That gives me 5 years....

"Happy marriages begin when we marry the ones we love, and they blossom when we love the ones we marry"

Inauguration, Interrogation, Implications, Indication

So...in 2 hours America and the world will officially have their first african-american president and make a piece of history that may never be emulated in cultural significance again. Indeed the slogan "CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN" has been a motivator for people around the world but are our beliefs overshadowing the difficult tasks ahead?

Last night as I sat in the living room eating my native food (hot! hot! fufu) my family's eyes were firmly locked on Fox News which was a shock in itself as Fox Media are well known to be opposers of Barack Obama. Sipping on Evian I observed as they were interviewing a political powerhouse who had some interesting words for the inauguration of Obama. He suggested that the nation may be putting too much pressure and extending the already high expectations on Obama as being the "saviour of the world"; therefore the only way for Barack was downhill. I was almost ready to respect his suggestion until he compared Barack's run to George W. Bush's. Obviously putting too much sugar in his tea, the man claimed that unlike Barack, Bush had many doubters at the beginning but was able to turn the nation's views of him around in his 8 years in charge.

....right because 70% of the nation stating Bush failed is an indication of that?

What I will agree with is that the expectations are extended to a point that many americans are blinded by the moment and havent disected the magnitude of the challenges Obama must face. Catapulted into a volatile situation, Obama must address the Economic Crisis, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the residential, educational and social-economical needs of the country as well as the MANY who I feel will strive to bring him down around him. For Barack to handle these issues he'll need two integral forces of nature, Support and Time. 4 years is enough time to build growth but more time will be needed to maintain it. This is where I hope he will still have the same support as questions will be asked; expectations are sometimes a burden.

They are a burden to the point where a woman stated that now that Barack is president she wont need to pay her bills and mortgages (silly). It was even more worrying that she was black; ah yes, the black element. We know how significant this moment in history is and I'm proud to have been alive to see this moment and even prouder that black people as well as all people have been brought together by this occassion. Yet we musnt forget the wider perspective.

We musn't forget that this moment isn't a time for ignorance but a time for inspiration. Black people must take this with a smile and a stride in their step without forgetting that Obama is indeed mixed-race, half white. Embracing his skin-tone means you must embrace his heritage and embrace the aspect of unity amogst all. Generations of struggle over equality are pre-dominantly over.

This being said I am jealous of Americans right now, especially those in DC who are going to have one hell of a time despite the weather. Obama is a brilliant orator, one who has gained much respect from myself and if we are to go by what we have seen so far, his collectiveness and vision coupled with support and time will make him one of the most influential and important leaders of all time.

"Change Your Thoughts And You Change Your World"

Love Rained Down On Me

Morning,

You ever have those days where you wake up and you're happy for no particular reason? Im having one of those moments right now and I've had a little time to reflect on the past weekend events. This weekend I witnessed various elements of L.O.V.E. Sentimental as it may seem I couldnt brush off the feeling of happiness as I saw different levels of love manifest itself on a bigger screen (life). It opened my eyes to alot and although I've always remained positive and had that love inside, this weekend was a little reminder of how privileged I am even in doubt. So I Broadband endorse this greater issue we call Love. Love For/From your family, Love For/From your friends, Love For/From your partner, Love For/From God and most notably Love For Yourself. Mrs Broadband, Im coming. Be Easy!

"Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in the recognition"

Coming of Age

Grime Music is an acquired taste (as is every music genre) you can either love it for it's rawness, patriotic representation and multliple collaborations or you could hate it for it's lack of varied content, budget/repetitive videos and crowded industry. Either way it's a mainstay because of it's attention to the street (a council estate of mind if you will) and the coverage it receives on Channel U and pirate radios. There's an array of talented grime MCs from Ghetto to Kano to Scorcher to Bashy; yet grime still hasnt been fully recognised on a greater national scale. UK Labels arent willing to market a genre where mixtapes hardly sell and fans download on a daily basis. Although it would be fair in saying labels arent giving MCs a chance to shine and showcase their talent, it would equally be fair in saying there isnt enough overall artistry in grime as a whole. The music industry nowadays unfortunately is more than just music, its all about marketing a product; the product being the artist.

The wider perspective suggests that the industry is powered by 4 P's. The artist behind the music is a product who must have presence and personality in order to progress. If labels do not see these 4 p's as a combination in an MC, then there is no chance they will succeed and more importantly neither will the grime genre. We have seen this happen to a few talents, most notably Kano. So what do you do? You either change up your style of music to suit labels (e.g Wiley, Skepta, Dizzee & Lethal B) whilst still gaining credibility from "ends" or you use your experiences and knowledge to distribute music via an independent label and produce great music AND great videos. Its difficult and rare for grime artists to make great videos with a low budget however every once in a while you get the odd videos that spark a chord in your eye socket and you respond with a nod of the head. With all this said, let me forward you to an artist by the name of Chipmunk. He has all that it takes to bring grime music onto a bigger level - the talent, the personality and the artistry. Although only 17 and far from the best in the game I believe he will be able to open avenues for other grime greats and we may see them prosper in UK charts. Only time will tell. Judging by this video the future's looking very bright.

The Ideas Of Serendipity

Serendipity - "The faculty of making happy and unexpected discoveries by accident"

A couple weeks back I had an interesting and unprompted conversation with a close friend (call it an ironic form of serendipity if you will) about the idea of serendipity, it's connotations and the wider perspective surrounding it's meaning. I myself like the idea of serendipity; among the obvious benefits it makes life a little bit more interesting and myself that much more thankful even though I believe everything happens for a reason. My friend agreed to an extent but suggested that although things may happen for a reason the idea that our whole life is mapped out is hard to believe. If it is, we hardly end up going in that direction, at least not in the way initially planned.

Hmmm...

The belief resultant from that statement is that our lives may not be mapped out by god or fate (depending on what you believe in) as sometimes we choose things that we know we dont really want but we go ahead and choose it anyway. Surely if our lives were mapped out for us, the notion would be for us to choose exactly what we want even if mistakes were made; as the outcome would turn out right in the end. My friend had a point but from the wider perspective we must realise that life has always been a series of decisions and just because we may make bad ones it doesn't mean that it wasn't part of the overall plan. A journey is never a linear direction, if that was the case we would ALWAYS get what we were looking for right? Nonetheless another question dawned on me...

If we were giving the power of free will would it not seem a strange but logical contradiction to the idea of fate?

Some people like to play with free will and fate by blaming a decision or lack of decision on the idea that everything happens for a reason. It makes them feel better and lightens the burden of being responsible for everything that happens to them. "I guess it just wasnt meant to be" OR "If it's meant to be there'd be a sign" (Pssh please). Indeed I feel strongly that some things are meant and of course some not but using it as an excuse or taking advantage of that privilege not only undermines your value but causes prevention of a knowledgable journey. Simultaneously though, it's more acceptable when people sacrifce their decisions either to please others or because they are scared of the outcome. It is these mechanisms of free will that allow me to think that the strange contradiction may not be such a contradiction after all.

Serendipity's a funny thing aint it.