Moving Day!

Sorry to be a pain in the ass...but this blog is moving.
The new location is at:
www.musicalessence.wordpress.com

I'd appreciate it if you'd update your blog rolls or whatever, and spread the word. I tried to tell as many people as possible, but I'm not sure every one saw it. Thanks, see you over on the visually-superior and for tech-savvy users over at Wordpress.

I Woke Up Early On My Born Day...

"I'm eighteen years of blessing / The essence of adolescence leaves my body now I'm fresh in / My physical frame is celebrated 'cause I made it..."


Not quite twenty today, but eighteen.
Today marks an interesting day in my life, and normally, I'm not one to go and post all my personal life up for the world to know, and I'm sure there aren't many interested, but what the hell.
I was born six months early, and weighed 1 pound and six ounces. In pictures, I fit in the palm of people's hand. Doctors did some experimental surgery that was brand new...and it worked. My life's been somewhat of a miracle in that sense, though religion is a touchy subject for me.
Me and my dad don't get along very well. We have arguments all the time. Nothing physical, as I'd know despite his age, he'd still be able to kick my ass blindfolded.
The girls are starting to get crazier and crazier. I gotta watch what I'm doing and I can't fuck up too many more times before it all comes to a crash.
Music is becoming more and more important in my life, both as a means to escape whatever, and I'm thinking of finding an internship asap and get myself involved in the culture and see what I can do with it. To be honest, everyone always asks what I'm going to school for, and I always say "I'm not sure what I want to study", which is true...except I think more and more each day that a music direction is for me. Not a music output (hell nahhhhh), but involved in some way.
It's just crazy, feeling that I can finally escape and live by myself and get the hell out of this town where I'm at...with a population that's 95% white, and the only thing we got going for us is the beach five minutes from my house. (Who's jealous?)
I can't wait for college, I'm ready to go and be an adult and all that good stuff.
No more immature shit. You know what I'm talking about.

(Also, this is gonna be posted on February 24th, with my birthday in the AM. No way I'm getting my ass up and posting this before I go to school at 7:00 tomorrow.)
Stay tuned, this blog has bigger and better things planned. I've been writing a lot lately, hopefully you'll see some of what my mind's come up with. Thanks, if anyone's reading.
I found this site yesterday, and if none of you have seen it, you need to:
Stuff White People Like
If it weren't so damn hilarious (and mostly true), I'd be offended.

To Celebrate....

I'm going out with the girl tonight...so I'll just leave you with this. It's awesome! Check it out definitely.

Lookin' For The Perfect Beat

Quite possibly the most important aspect of hip-hop is the ability to find and then sample stuff that's so obscure and great, you're one of the only eight people to even own the record, and the only one to actually use it on a song of your own.

I'm doing a mentorship/internship (almost) type of deal at a local radio station, hoping to learn more about it, and possible make it a career. Although this is not that specific station, the walls are just as stacked. Producers such as Madlib and Dilla make their careers out of finding obscure shit and makin' it dope.
In honor of today, the two year anniversary of Dilla's death, I'm presenting something that I hope none of you have:
'Donuts' sample montage
'The Shining' sample montage.

RIP Dilla, you're always missed.

Also, if you think you've got skills, go over to I Hook A Beat Up and show those skills off.
We give you a sample, you flip it. New sample each week; head on over!

Congratulations.

See these guys right here?


The offensive line of the New England Patriots.
Singlehandedly, this is the reason the Giants escaped with the victory in Super Bowl 42.

It's a day of silent mourning in New England today...
Damn.




















Fuckin' Matt Light.

Artist Spotlight: John Mayer

I told myself I'd be doing this "series" more often...and I haven't done one in forever. Starting in a fury by doing spotlights on Joseph Budden the Third and k-os, and fallen off since. Damn. Well, the heat's back...and it's not hip hop. Call the po-lice, but it's good to listen to different kinds of music once in a while.

John Mayer was born in Connecticut, went to Berklee for music, moved to Georgia to refine his skills...okay, you know what. I'm not doing an autobiography...see wikipedia for that.

I will however, talk about his music. I try to consider myself a person with a wide variety of tastes. I can appreciate the sound of a smooth guitar or classical symphony, but I have a feeling my ears will always lean towards hip-hop the most. However, maybe you didn't all know this (re: I didn't), but Mayer was the voice to say "Go" on Common's song by the same name. News to me, so if you already knew that, excuse me for being ig'nant.

The guitar is a hard instrument to play. I've played it all of about four times, and even though I got progressively better...it was still horrible. A friend of mine is seriously considering attempting a career in music, and all he does is practice and then practice some more.

Cliff notes of what I've said so far in all this typing: I like all kinds of music, and guitar is hard to play.

Mayer's released three albums, "Room for Squares", "Heavier Things", and "Continuum", along with numerous live performances. He even covered a Hendrix song (Bold as Love) on his newest. His voice is solid, guitar playing excellent, and he's funny as hell. Check the video below. (The Making of: 'Bittersweet' with Senor West)

For more proof of the dopeness, here ya go:
Belief (personal favorite)
Gravity (live)
Bold As Love (video)
I Don't Trust Myself With Loving You

Stakes Is High

Okay, confession time:
This picture and the post title have nothing to do with this post, I just wanted to be clever and have the picture and the post title relate.

However, I would like to just update you all right quick that, no, I'm not dead. Just on hiatus.
Well not really. But I've been busy scrambling, setting up guests posts, working my ass off, and school and shit.
Three points of interest today:
Article I
FUCK FYE. I ordered "Miseducation..." Tribe's "Anthology" and Murs' "The End of the Beginning" online. All used. After taking THREE WEEKS to arrive, it turns out the disc for "Miseducation" is in horrible condition, and the disc inside...oh yeah. It's not even the right one. If I wanted Dre's "The Chronic", I would have ordered that!
Fuckers.
So: After ranting and throwing shit all over the place and going beserk, I read the instructions on how to return items. Turns out I have to go to the UPS Store among other errands tomorrow (my only day off also) and see if I can mail this fucker back to them and they can send me the correct fucking order. As you might be getting the hint, I'm slightly upset at the whole ordeal. No reason to take three weeks, and if it does, at least get the order right.
Article II
"For the first time since 1982, the NBA is sending two teams back to the court for a do-over.
The Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat must replay the final 51.9 seconds of their game last month because the official scorer ruled incorrectly that Shaquille O'Neal fouled out, the league said Friday."

I'm not making that up. It's really happening. Why?....my thoughts exactly.

Article III

This is how I want all break-up letters to read.

You make me touch your hands for stupid reasons

Absolute comedy. Trust me on that one.

I'll be back soon. I'm in the process of talking to Ill Poetic about some music, maybe setting up an interview. If you've got questions, yell.