This Is Legacy Elite

Random Facts And The Like

2011-08-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

Life has been interesting lately, to say the least. I went back to Texas for a little bit to see my mother get married, have been getting my things in order for school, and have just been enjoying life. Made some new friends, and re-established many existing friendships I already had. Now that I have the time though, I thought I would write some random facts about myself:

Favorite Movie: The Five Heartbeats

Favorite Color: Blue

Favorite Song: "Moments In Love," by the Art of Noise

Favorite food: Rice (That's the Latino in me, lol)

Favorite Holiday: Christmas

Favorite Quote: "I can and I will." - Farrah Gray

Favorite Shoe: Air Jordan XI white / black / concord

Favorite Soda: Squirt

Favorite Sport: Basketball

Favorite Book: Black Boy, by Richard Wright

If there's anything else you'd like to know, hit me up...

Greatness Opens Doors

2011-06-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

A Chicago MC named G.O.D. Jewels who also posts on the sneaker board I've frequented for the past 10 (!) years entitled one of his mix tapes Greatness Opens Doors. It was much a play on his stage name as one of the affirmations he lived by: "Greatness opens doors." I really hold on to that mantra, because I believe that if I do my best, my greatness will soon open doors for me.

Having finished my year of service working with middle school students, I have changed in ways that I would have never expected, and I'm better for it. It would be easy to say how much I improved my students lives, but they really helped me improve mine. I do not act like I have that chip on my shoulder like I did at the beginning of the year. I finally have the self-confidence to make big decisions in my life that I probably wouldn't have made before this year.

I'm taking the time to count my blessings and see how many I can pay forward. I only have one life to live, so it's up to me to live it the fullest. I'm in a very good place right now. I'm going to start doing what my Dad always told me and "Let my gifts make room for me." I'm going to get my chance to shine, because I speak up to much for myself not to. But jokes aside, less is more. By playing the background nobody can see me coming, and I like things better that way.

Indeed, "greatness opens doors." Let's see how many I can get to open...

See Me Now

2011-04-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

I don't really discuss it much, but if it wasn't for Kanye West I probably wouldn't be making music.

I was always interested in rapping... I started around the time I was in sixth grade, and before that I was really into poetry. I never really had the confidence though to rap in front of anyone. I got picked on a lot as a kid and took many things personally. All the rappers I saw on television or that I saw in my older brother's magazines looked gangster or if nothing else, like 100% Black guys. I joke about it a lot, but at the time I don't really remember there being any popular Latino rappers outside of Big Pun, and he died shortly after my family moved back to the States in '99.

At any rate, by ninth grade I was a computer junkie. As someone always into technology, I would spend all of my free time after doing homework and chores on the computer. More than anything, I just wanted to find a way to get tracks to rap over... The funny thing was, I never thought about making them myself. I found about about an inexpensive music production program and began experimenting. My first attempts at trying to make a basic three minute track were very raw, and I wasn't really open to constructive criticism at the time. By the time I graduated high school though, I was starting to show potential, and at 23, I can say my production is far more polished.

Interestingly enough, rapping took a backseat as I developed a passion for production. Finally, I looked up this year and decided to get back behind the mic. My flow was rusty at first, but in time writing bars felt natural again. And like Kanye at his best, I'm finally saying what's on my mind, and perhaps more importantly, what's on my heart. I don't really like violence, so why rap about it? I want money as much as the next person, but it can't buy happiness. I'm finally secure in my manhood to know I don't have to put anyone else down to make myself sound or look better.

I think this really hit me in the last few weeks that I've been working more on writing verses and trying to pick out what tracks I wanted to use for my future project. I was listening to the song "See Me Now" off of Kanye's latest album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and I actually started tearing up while walking home after dinner yesterday. There's a lyric where Beyonce goes "I know one thing, my mama would be proud / And you see me lookin’ up / ‘Cause I know she’s lookin’ down right now." My Mom is still here, but that lyric made me think about my Grandma Jean and my Abuela Ignacia, two women (my grandmothers) who went through a lot and were loving and caring people.

There was a time in my life when I wasn't doing what I should have been... And I'll be honest, before I started working to mentor kids last year, I felt like I let a lot of people down in my life. But as I think how much I've worked to turn my life around, I wish they could see me now.... How long I've stuck with this music thing, how much I've grown into a decent man, and how much I am finally working to tap into the potential that has laid dormant for the longest. More than anything, I'm finally happy about my life again. I'm smiling just like I did when they were still here. I can finally rest assured that they're happy to look down from heaven and see me now.

We Won't Be Stopped

2011-03-29T16:26:00.001-07:00

I was about to be politically correct about this, but it's time to be direct. As I write this, I'm listening to T.I.'s "I'm Talkin' To You." I'm not even on any aggressive stuff right now, but I just see so many things I'm tired of... The game is weak, and we need to raise our standards.

I remember when I met one of my best friends and collaborators Thunda Corleone back in Mrs. Durst's ninth grade English class on the first day of high school. We connected over basketball, sneakers, but more than anything hip-hop. The classics that our older brothers listened, like Wu-Tang's 36 Chambers, Nas' Illmatic, OutKast's albums... Just real hip-hop. He said something I never forget when even talking about how the younger guys played the game, a metaphor for basketball and hip-hop at the same time: "Mike, man I got ups, but my brother and the dudes he hooped with had flight." In other words, these dudes today are impressive, but the vast majority of these emcees are not popping like that... If they have the style, they lack the substance.

I just want to see more good music. Less marketing plans, less ignorance, less glorification of material things and let's get back to what this music special in the first place... The fact that you could hear the pain and joy from an emcee on the same album is what made love hip-hop the way I do, what made me work on my own skills until I wasn't afraid to freestyle in front of my class mates at school anymore, what made me want to become my own producer just so I could get my voice as an emcee heard. Me, the Diamondback family and anyone I affiliate with are not doing this for accolades or the money... We do it because we love it enough to honor the culture.

I'm not saying I don't like my club music because anyone that has seen me out knows I will dance a fool, especially if I just got a fresh cut. But I'm also going to talk about the kids I see everyday raising their brothers and sisters because their one parent has two jobs. I'm going to talk about why we need to stop promoting violence and ignorance in our communities. If the major labels want to break bread, then good for them. But this isn't about them, this is about the people.

Let your boy cook... (I see you Lil' B.) This is Legacy Elite and Diamondback. We won't be stopped.

The Beautiful Grind

2011-03-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

I had a date the other night and for the first time in months, I felt like myself. I didn't feel like I had to watch what I said when giving my opinion on something, or put on a facade like I sometimes have to do at work. I was able to enjoy someone's company that I could tell enjoyed mine and not worry about the one million things currently keeping me busy at work. I was able to talk about being creative to another person who understands the creative process, and it was liberating.

People don't realize it, but having to work in the school system or really in any work place where you have to interact with people a lot can be taxing. Some days I come home wondering if I'm getting old when I think about how many times I have to ask a student not to do something. I forgot that I'm still pretty young myself. On the plus side though, I can finally say I'm starting to understand this whole mentor thing. I can be a good mentor to these kids without having to cosign or agree with all that they do... After all, in the end they're still just kids.

With all that being said, I've been all over my music lately. I've been looking for tracks from my own catalog to write to, and for the first time in a long time, I'm really focused on making a mix tape happen before the end of the year. I have enough tracks; I'm just still trying to figure out how to build the tape. I want it to be something good from start to finish, more so like a great book than the typical mix tape or album you would buy or download today. If I can do that and get people to enjoy the music as much I do, then that would be great.

To bring things full circle though, I talked to my date about the grind as far as having a day job and still trying to make time for music, and I have to admit: It's a beautiful grind. I'm going to look back on all of this someday and talk about how great it is to have freedom over all my work and just enjoy what I do. If I don't enjoy it, why do it then?

Life Goes On

2011-02-22T16:31:00.000-08:00

It's been a long month and there is still a week to go. I have been busy with everything from college applications and just trying to maintain a standard of excellence at work. I've matured a lot and have noticed a great change in my habits since I got back from visiting my Mom over the Christmas break. I'm spending more time on getting my priorities in order and less time worrying about things that really don't matter in the long run. By doing this, I'm setting myself up for success and am able to use my energy on things that will be beneficial to my well-being.

It hasn't been easy, though. There have been moments where I've found myself wondering if I'm really doing the right thing in life by virtually putting the needs of others before my own. It's no secret that I don't get paid a lot of money for what I do, but I tell myself all the time that I don't do this for the money. I do this for all of the kids that I mentor that need guidance that they probably aren't going to get outside of those few class periods I spend with them every day. When I think about them doing well and the impact I have on their time at school, I appreciate the opportunity to even be able to mentor students who need a role model in their lives.

In addition, I have often found myself wondering what I would do after this current job. I know I'm going to be back in school, but I don't exactly know where. Hopefully God can put the answers in front of me... He always does. In the meantime, I'm going to continue to focus on becoming a better person and making the best of whatever life might throw at me. One of the things that was always stressed in church when I was a kid was that God will never give you more than you can handle. I'm a firm believer in that.

Aside from all of that, I'm feeling as creative as ever right now. By not focusing on my love life (or lack thereof... ha!), I've had a chance to get back to doing things I enjoy, like making tracks, writing whatever comes to mind, and just being myself. I tell myself all the time that as long as I'm comfortable with who I am, that's all that matters. And in the end, I'm finally starting to believe that.

Back for the First Time

2011-02-13T15:10:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I've actually updated my blog, but a lot has changed in my life. I've gotten a little bit more independent and focused on certain goals in my life, and have actually started getting an idea of where I want to go with my music.

In addition, a lot of different things have happened at work. I've gotten a great new boss and mentor have started to count and really enjoy the blessings in my life. More than anything, I'm feeling creative again. I've learned a lot about myself and I'm ready to get back to writing and finally settling down with my music.

It's game time, so to speak... So where's the ball?

My Review of Skullcandy S2ASBZ-CZ Asym Stereo Earbud Headphones (Chrome)

2010-11-28T12:10:00.001-08:00

Originally submitted at MidnightBox.com

Enjoy your favorite tunes with these earbud headphones that feature sound isolating technology that helps block outside noise and 3 sizes of silicone ear gels for a custom fit. The wrap-around cable keeps the headphones in place on the go.

Excellent headphones for low $$$!

By legacyelite from Philaldephia, Pennsylvania. on 11/28/2010

Pros: Compact, Lightweight, Good Bass, Comfortable, Stylish, Great Sound, Good Value

Best Uses: Working, With My Computer, Working Out, Traveling, Portable Devices

Describe Yourself: Teenager, College Student, Frequent Traveler

Primary use: Personal

Was this a gift?: No

I have had several pairs of great Skull Candy headphones and these take the cake. Take advantage of this great deal while you can.

(legalese)

Handle My Business

2010-11-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe it's been two months since I last posted something. The Lord only knows how many things have changed in my life since my last post. I've finally gotten used to life out here in Philadelphia, I've made a let of friends and many more different people, and I'm steadily getting an idea of what I want to do with the rest of my life.

The one thing that has probably kept me from writing--if not blogging--interestingly enough, is the work I'm currently doing. Working in a school setting with kids all day can be both mentally and physically draining. Don't get me wrong; I love my kids. But there are more than plenty of times that I almost question working with them.

And the crazy part is, dealing with the kids and all of their idiosyncrasies is probably the easiest part of it all. Dealing with a school system that is on the brink of destruction and certain individuals who have low expectations as far as lowering the high school dropout rate can almost kill the morale of all the people trying to rectify things at times.

It's whatever, though. I came too far from when I graduated from Richmond Academy back in May 2006 to turn back now. I have no blood family left in Augusta (I still see you Tina!) and you better believe I am not going back to either of my parent's homes in their respective locations. So with all that being said, it's time to handle business.

Dream Girl

2010-08-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

It might come off as strange, but I tend to look at dreams differently than most people probably do. I look at them as messages from God in a sense; messages that we cannot comprehend when we are conscious because they're genuinely coded in a higher frequency, a higher wavelength. It's almost like the high-pitched sounds that drive dogs crazy: It irks them because they have far better hearing when we do, so it's a wretched sound to their ears but we cannot hear it.

At any rate, I have crazy dreams. Sometimes I find it hard to wake up because it feels like I'm the main character in a surreal version of my own life story, and things can get so intense that I actually talk in my sleep. (That's what I'm told, anyway. I could imagine how funny--if not creepy--it would be to actually watch me talk in my sleep.) But the dream I had last night... It was major on so many levels.

Imagine meeting a beautiful girl... And when I mean beautiful, I don't even mean superficially speaking. She's smart, has a good sense of humor, has goals... She's the total package. She even reads books for fun. (Do people even do that anymore?) You don't rush into anything with her, just in case things fall through, but over time, you two build a decent friendship. It's not too long before you know everything about her and she knows everything about you. The next thing you know, things become official, and things are great.

But what if this wasn't an imaginary girl in the dream, and it was a girl you actually are pretty tight with? One that you can say has a special place in your heart, but you could never really date because you know each other too well? Well, that's exactly what made this dream so unique. It was a fantasy of sorts, but all too realistic at the same time. I could only wish dreams like this one were realities for me.

Loneliness

2010-07-24T18:11:00.000-07:00

For someone who's moved around as much as I have, it probably seems like I don't ever deal with loneliness from time to time. If anything, that's probably why when I do feel lonely, it feels worst than any other bad feeling I could experience. And it's really funny, because when I look at my life, I have more than enough relatives and a handful of siblings... The only thing that gets me about that, is that there are only a handful (if even that) that I feel I can relate to about life. As far as my elder relatives and mentors have ever gone, pretty much all of them are from a previous generation, so it's hard to really express my sentiments about certain things.

And for me to say that I can't express myself is definitely saying something, because I usually have more than my fair share of words to share on any given subject. On the flip side though, this feeling of loneliness I catch every now and then makes me cherish my closest family and friends all the more. If nothing else, I can count on being able to reach out to them for some sort of consolation when I need it, or a few humbling words to bring me down to earth if I'm thinking I'm the truth or something.

And on a side note, it's helped me in maintaining relationships. I've learned to separate friends from acquaintances, and to not focus on those who might be enemies but focus on those I know are my friends. Also, I've learned that having female friends and just being friends isn't so bad after all. So with all that being said, I'd definitely like to show appreciation to my family and friends who show me love and care. Without them (and obviously God) I don't know where I would be.

A Sign Of Maturity

2010-07-08T22:06:00.000-07:00

Looking at my calendar, it's hard to believe that for a moment, I was watching this summer slowly creep past me. The NBA playoffs were over, all I did was work and sleep on my off days, and I anxiously waited for responses from an organization behind a position I applied for...

And then it happened.

Suddenly, it was like everything was coming to fruition. I got offered a new job, saving up my money was beginning to pay off, and I felt something I hadn't honestly felt in a very long time: Genuine happiness.

I felt happy to say that my Mom was bragging about me to her friends and family. I was happy to know I earned an opportunity to do something I haven't really done in the last four years, which was to live away from home. I even tapped into some of this newly found jubilation and made some beats which I actually liked, which is saying something because I'm my own worse critic.

That's not to say I don't have my melancholy days anymore. I know just today I got my tapeline pushed back by my supposedly reliable barber, and walked as rain steadily got worse and worse to my workplace to pick up my paycheck, practically drenched in rain. But then I looked at my circumstances, and I couldn't trip: I got one more day than I have had in recent weeks, if not months at work, and I had a chance to sit down and eat with a co-worker.

Her name is... Well, I won't put her out there, but we call her J.T. in the kitchen because there's another girl with her same first name. I thought she was cute ever since I met her but I stepped back when she told me she had a boyfriend. (Maybe that's a sign that I'm maturing, or at least know what's good for me. Only God knows...) She had her God-nephew with her, and I can't front, she had a nice outfit on her. It was on point considering the weather, but it still had her unique touch to it.

I bring her up, if nothing else, to just show how far I've come in a sense. Females are a weakness for me, along with kryptonite and my Mom's empanadas. Especially when they're built like her: Nice slim frame, but thick in all the right places, on some disproportionate type stuff. But with her, I've developed a decent friendship, if nothing else, because I really can't get with her like that. So in effect, it's forced me to make myself respect something out of my hands. As a young guy, if that isn't a sign of maturity, what is?

Maybe

2010-06-30T00:02:00.001-07:00

Maybe it's the insomniac in me that has me writing this at such a bewitching hour, maybe it's the blueberry muffin I ate before I left work earlier, maybe it's my dougie... I DON'T KNOW! I kid, I kid. I just thought I'd show some love to some people who are interesting in their own rights.

Aaron Butler - That's my brother! No, like, seriously... That's my brother. He's older and has the best advice on pretty much everything. I thank God for him; he's my best friend. Whether it's with my writing or some new tracks I've made, he's supportive and always honest.
Matt Brown - This dude... I can't say enough good things about him. Pretty much anyone that's been around me knows that I can go ham sometimes, and he's been one of my friends who has that coolness to balance me out. He hoops, makes beats (makes me keep raising my own standards), and is real funny on the low. Mad props to Matt for being a a good dude.
Juice Mayne - I'm not going to use his government, but this is another cool dude that I've down with since ninth grade or so. One of the most laid back people you'll ever meet, and he always knows how to find a good time.
Arabia Thompson - When I make it big someday I definitely have to pay her back for her birthday dinner last year... (Sorry Arabia!) Fortunately for me though, she doesn't hold any grudges. She's rather petite, but easily one of the toughest and most focused young people I've probably met up to now. She also has a big heart, but you definitely don't want to rub her the wrong way...
Cristina Thomas - She's definitely someone I respect. She's funny, intelligent, and isn't bad on the eyes. Easily one of the best friends anyone could have and now she's a college graduate. Way to go, Tina!

And well, I guess that does it. I'm starting to feel a little sleepy now, so hopefully everyone I shouted out gets to see this. Later...

Summer

2010-06-12T20:27:00.000-07:00

As I sit here and type this, all I can think about is how far I've come in the last year. Between taking some time off from school, and spending the better part of my time working, I've had more than enough time to contemplate my future. While I may not like where I've found myself at certain points in the past, I definitely know where I want to be in the future... The only thing keeping me from getting to that point is my self-doubt.

My race doesn't represent me as a person, especially a young person in America; only my work ethic and what I'm willing (and able) to apply it to. And it's crazy when I think about it, because it's tough for people of all ages to get jobs, and perhaps more importantly, find great opportunities. With that being said, I'm just counting my blessings and thanking God for what he's given me.

He's put all the people in my life that I could ever learn from, and then some! Imagine that. At 22, I'm finally starting to learn that my parents and my elders were right about many things. No matter what, making the best of school and your education is usually the best option in pursuing your future career. And regardless of what people say, you should never believe your own hype. After all, we all have room for improvement, and I'm not talking about that one Drake mixtape.

So as I reflect, I'm going to enjoy this summer evening. After all, right behind Christmas, it's probably my favorite time of the year.

The Color of Comedy

2010-05-01T18:40:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I had a chance to watch an insightful documentary on Black comedy in the 20th century that also discussed the role it's played within the plight of Blacks in America of the course of the last 100 or so years. There were several things that resonated with me, but perhaps more than anything there were a good three that stuck out:

Comedian Richard Pryor received due praise for his role as a social commentator.
The Cosby Show changed the paradigm of what a Black family in America looked (or at least could look) like.
Some of the best talents were and are universal, and are not just limited to playing in front of the same crowds.

The first one was mainly a surprise because of how many people gave Richard Pryor his props. I mainly know him from biographies depicting his life and rough upbringing, and not to mention his rough language during his acts. Sometimes I wonder why more talents can't see past the money or whatever physical items phase them and entertain while provoking thought, like what Bill Cosby did with the Cosby Show.

I've heard and read (not to mention have watched) so much of and about the show since I was a small kid, but as someone who came up in a modest, military family, I never realized what the show represented to less fortunate families of color out there. Comedian Bill Billamy expressed with emphasis what it was like for him growing up as a kid in an apartment in Newark, New Jersey and watching a prominent Black family living in a house on TV. To him, that was unprecedented.

Finally, and perhaps most important to me as a creative individual, was the fact that true talent reaches its potential when it's universal. Don't get me wrong, I love my niche acts and talents that attract cult followings, but to see someone like Chris Rock reach the success he has is impressive. He is himself, and he realizes that if there is nothing else he can do to the best of his abilities, it's to make people laugh. Not Black or White people, but people. Isn't that special? Sometimes we get so caught up in why we're different that we should appreciate what makes us as people so similar.

Distractions

2010-04-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

I've been busy enough to be so tired in the last month or so that I've been using more of my free time to catch up on sleep and rest than anything. With work being what it is, I usually just chill on my days off and work on personal paperwork and things like that. Perhaps most telling is me enjoying one of my worst vices (and distractions) reality television.

I know most of the stuff is scripted, but every now and then I'll watch something that's actually thought-provoking. There was this one show on the other night, when a fairly young celebrity was receiving advice from his Dad, and ultimately, insight about love. He pretty much said that when you find that person you're going to be in love with, you know it. Considering the fact that I've never really found myself in love, I pondered what it would be like to be in such a hypnotizing state.

As I continued to think to myself, many different reasons came to mind. I've never really been fond of commitment, and have myself attracted (and sometimes attractive) to all kind of different girls. But as much as that might be the case, I've never really been in love with any one of them, to the point where I'd want to spend an eternity with these girls...

Except for one.

I can talk about her days and probably will in another entry, but she was the first girl to come to mind when I thought about actually entering a serious relationship in the near future. I called her the other night and woke her up; she had class the following morning and wanted me to call her back the following night. To emphasize how excited I was to get a chance to talk to her that night, you would think I didn't work a menial job for way less than I should probably get paid.

We talked about a lot of different things, like our future plans, what we had been up to lately, and each other... But then I brought up some of my thoughts on love and relationships, and told her I felt ready for a relationship but couldn't think of anyone where I was at that I was really feeling. In reality, I want to be with her, and she told me she missed me when I said I missed her... But we're a time zone apart. Just talking as friends, she told me that I shouldn't worry about about girls right now because they're distractions.

I asked her if she thought she was a distraction, and she asked me if I thought she distracted me? I laughed and told her no, but I had to admit she stayed on my mind a lot.

I guess my point in writing all this, is to pose these questions: How do you know when you're in love, and what does it feel like? The girl in question means a lot to me, but I want to see things from all angles...

What Are You Talented At?

2010-03-05T13:09:00.000-08:00

I've been feeling the biggest burst of energy so far this month than I have probably felt since my brother left after visiting my family and I in late December. I've started writing again, writing down ideas and concepts for potential projects, and just overall feel alive again. I attribute a lot of it to the current changing of seasons (as a Southerner with Latino blood running through my veins, I don't care for the cold much at all) to the Lord having his way in my life.

Now don't get me wrong: I still have a long way to go before I'm totally on the straight and narrow. But between trying to drop bad habits and develop new and healthy ones, I'm slowly and steadily making steps towards where I want to be. It's like the legendary basketball coach John Wooden said in this interview I watched on TV yesterday: "One of the biggest things young people lack is patience." I totally agree. As impatient as I have been in the past, I'm finally starting to realize that nothing worth having comes easy. Hard work pays off.

Another (and perhaps more tangible) example comes when I look in the mirror. For someone who's never really thought much of their self as far as looks were concerned, all it's taken for me to feel better about my outward appearance is a changed perception. Since I've started to show myself love, I've started to notice the waves forming in my hair and the improvement of my overall complexion. The best part about all of this is that while these things may only be small steps, they're more than enough to make me want to continue my self-improvement.

So now, with this (and other things) gaining prominence in my personal life, I'm starting to believe in myself and my abilities again. I'm focused as far as my academic aspirations for the fall are concerned, and am consistently looking for new job opportunities. My favorite pastime of creating music won't take a backseat, but I'll make sure to manage my time better. My main focus in doing that is to produce more quality tracks, and fewer tracks by large quantities that lack all the details I would usually put into my work. In addition, I'd like to build a brand out of Legacy Elite Music. A friend said that "building brands" was one of her goals for 2010, so between her work ethic and all-around know-how, she's a great asset.

It's an important thing to remember, but in case you forget (because I know I do at times): The only person standing in the way of your success is you. Step aside and let your abilities speak for themselves. After all, we're all talented at something. The only question is, "What are you talented at?"

Tender Love

2010-02-09T16:50:00.000-08:00

I'm listening to a track I made that sampled a popular 80's song, and while it definitely is waiting for some love-related lyrics to be written to it, I'm not really up for all of that. Maybe it's because I'm too young to really understand what love is between a man and a woman, or maybe it's because I have never really been in love before... Maybe it's a little bit of both. Either way, as I get older, Valentine's Day is proving to be one of the more intriguing dates on my calendar. It's so funny, because people start acting real strange around Valentine's Day. Yes, we all know cuffing season's should be over, but for whatever reason we're stuck with another month of it.

So bearing this in mind, expect dudes to go hard with the cuffing and being simple, while shrewd females the world over are going to take advantage of these peculiar behaviors. I joke a lot, but think about it: What other time of the year do you see members of the opposite sex acting stranger towards you than they normally would? I can't think of one. Don't get me wrong, I imagine it must be great to have a significant other on a "holiday" that was pretty much engineered by the geniuses some candy and card companies years ago, but it doesn't really move me that much.

Additionally, what happens for these people after Valentine's Day? Will they be more in love than they ever were before, or will they have unrealistic expectations for their relationships because of how special their Valentine Days (or Nights, in some cases), were? Relationships are tough enough emotionally as anything we as people experience in our lives, but to set yourself up for failure via a poor relationship choice has to take the cake of questionable moves.

And finally, before I end things, people should definitely know the difference between genuinely loving someone (or something) and "merely" being in love. This is something that causes a lot of confusion, and in many cases, hurt feelings. I remember during a Bible study the teacher went through the different types of loves, like the one we have for God ("agape") and the ones we have for our mother, our father, our siblings, etc. The main thing our mentor was trying to drive home was the true meaning of love, inasmuch as, I much as a I love my mother, I could never love her the way I will love my future wife. There's room for everyone in a sense...

But if you love someone, there has to be room for their feelings, too. It's really easy to indicate you're "in love" with someone, but if you sell them on that and they start actually saying they love you... Well, that's a problem. Many of us feel a need to be in relationships just to say we are in them, or in other words, for that seemingly elusive sense of security. It's whatever. I guess in the end, no matter who you decide is that special one for you or however far your relationship will go, just make sure that "Tender Love" is reciprocated.

A Positive Outlook

2010-01-09T17:26:00.000-08:00

This new year has been good to me so far. I already feel that much more productive than I did in 2009, and I am getting closer and closer to reaching some of my short term goals. In addition, I've tightened up my inner circle and am not as focused on my own flaws as I was before. The wildest thing I've come to realize about my own potential and expectations for myself is that I don't have a chance of getting anywhere near my goals if I'm standing in my own way.

That realization may be secondhand knowledge to other people, but it's taken countless lectures and dialogues from my father (among other people) to finally scratch the surface of the limitless outer space known as my mind. In other words, a thought that might have crossed other people's minds in less time has just registered with me within the last year or so. And the more I think about it, I guess that just comes from the unique way I look at things... In an abstract, yet ultimately pragmatic manner.

The thing is, a young person still coming up in today's society can't afford to really think this way, unless they have the means to maintain a decent quality of life until they find a way to tap into their potential, and take advantage of their God-given genius. I'm learning this first-hand, and that's probably the reason why for the first time in my young life, I'm starting to appreciate many of the lessons my parents and elders have taught me over the years. For example, both my mother and father stressed the importance of excelling in school, because the thought of them getting a post-secondary education around the time they graduating high school something of a luxury.

If nothing else, I want to look back on 2010 and say it was the best year I've had in recent memory. And if I stay focused on my goals, personal, academic and fiscal, I should have no problem reaching them. It's always good to maintain a positive outlook, because no matter how negative things may get, you can see past them.

Beautiful Bliss

2009-11-28T19:13:00.001-08:00

It's been a few months since I've really given any updates on how things have been going in my personal life, in addition to my musical and writing aspirations. Bearing that in mind, I might as well bring everyone up to speed.

I'm very excited about how consistent I have been at producing tracks over the course of the last few months. (For emphasis, I've made as many beats in the last three months as I have in the last three years, which is saying something considering I try to come away with something each time I start a "session.") I've also began a habit of writing my thoughts down in my composition book every Sunday night, which serves as much as a "Week In Review" as something to help give me an outline for my plans for each coming week.

As far as writing poetry and verses, the ideas I have in my head are evanescent, so if I can't get to my notebook fast enough, they usually fade away. It's nothing to finish writing a song, but it's hard to finish doing something if you never started doing it in the first place. I haven't given up though, because like the Greatest (Basketball Player) Of All Time Michael Jordan said, "I can accept failure, but I cannot accept not trying." And to look at it in perspective, when I make beats they capture my emotions at that moment I make them, whereas my songs and verses are more so my emotions turned into series of concise similes and metaphors. Sometimes they're just my thoughts about things that have been on my mind for a long time.

As far as my life goes, a lot of things have changed for the better. I've gotten closure on a lot of things that had previously been weighing me down, both mentally and emotionally. It should come as no surprise, but I'm a better person for it. My parents always put it best: You can't help somebody if you aren't taking care of yourself, and that seemed to be the reason why I did a lot of things this last year or so. Then it hit me: I was just using that as excuse for not taking care of my own business. I remember my Dad telling me to be selfish my senior year of high school. Be selfish, I thought. Isn't that a bad thing?

Not in the way that he meant it. Selflessness is one of the best characteristics a person can possess, but it is all too often that our efforts to help others are in vain, or even worse, we get taken advantage of by someone we thought to be better. It's because of this that I've cut a lot of dead weight from my life. As I'm getting older, I'm learning that it's not a bad thing to tell people "no" sometimes, and that it's not a bad thing to be underestimated. In fact, that's one of the things that gives me "Beautiful Bliss," as the title of the Wale collaboration with J. Cole and Melanie Fiona goes. I can relate to each person on that track in one way or another, but bliss can come from anywhere, person, or thing. Sometimes it just comes from knowing that your efforts to make it to the big time haven't been in vain.

For me, "Beautiful Bliss" as an actual thing that can be experienced is knowing that I give thanks to God for putting me at this point in my life. I've experienced my share of strife this year, but I'll end this entry with a bar I've been holding in: "Y'all can have 2009 / Because 2010 is mine." Knowing that I'm navigator of my future is what makes that something for me to keep in mind. This past year has been a tough one, so I know for a fact that bar is going to have to be the truth. After all, when you're at the bottom, all you can do is go up.

Breaking the Habit

2009-10-29T21:48:00.000-07:00

Anybody that knows me knows that I lead a rather interesting life. It's not anymore interesting than that of the next person, but at the same time, it's far from what many would call "average." I'm the product of a bi-racial marriage, I actually welcome challenges, and overall, I try to find the bright side of even the darkest situations.

Now let's re-examine that last thing I mentioned: "...The darkest of situations." I don't know about you, but I've found myself in contretemps that a person my age, let alone a person of any age, should be smart enough to get out of (or steer clear of altogether). But the thing is in situations like these, as an outspoken young person, there are many times when nobody short of my closest loved ones or friends can talk to me. And even with, it takes a sign from the Man Upstairs to catch my eye to see that I should relax in certain situations.

What does this mean ultimately? I have to break the habit. Not just a habit, the habit. I can be so stubborn sometimes, that I find myself tripping over the most simple things. That's probably why I love the Linkin Park song "Breaking the Habit." It's so full of contradictions and emotion, that it's a negative song. But it's the positive message that gets your attention: The person singing the lyrics isn't just singing them, but belting out his sorrows for the world to hear, even if those are his last words as a living person. With that in mind, let those be my last words as a 21-year-old person:

"I'm breaking the habit... TONIGHT!"

Playing Our Positions

2009-10-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I have to remember as a young person on the cusp of adulthood (if I'm not already deep in it) is that good things come to those that wait, and moreover, patience is a virtue. So bearing that in mind, as much as I want to throw a tantrum when things don't go my way, or think about being a bad sport when I've competed as hard as I can and still come up short... I just can't do it anymore. And that's the adult in me talking sense into the kid in me, as abstract or just plain crazy as that might sound.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, impatience is a childish trait. It could be impatience with our loved ones, friends, or just life in general. I'm saying this from experience. There are things that I'm still waiting for that I've learned, for better or worse, I can't control and expedite into my life. But I've had to go through some growing pains before I realized that this happens to almost everyone in one shape or another, and then it hit me:

Good things come to those that wait for them.

Now I'm not saying you should just become lazy and not be proactive in life, never mind your own, but knowing you waited for something to come to fruition is usually, and might be the only way you'll ever learn how to appreciate it. For example, it's cool to say you can get a date with a different supermodel any day of the week, but 52 weeks later, you'll have no real relationship to show for it and a whole lot of baggage afterward. Now for comparison, if you just choose to befriend a member of the opposite sex and get to know them over the course of a year... Who knows what could blossom from that?

When people think of those who have passed, they usually think of the positive things that came from their time on this planet, but you know what those positive things usually are: Not the fact that they failed at times or might have made the same mistakes more than once, but the fact that they had the wherewithal to get up, and keep going. In the grand scheme of things, that's all that matters. Too many of us want to hit the game-winning shot in the championship game, instead of just playing our positions so our "teams" can win.

All The Best

2009-10-21T21:56:00.000-07:00

Lately, the lyrics to a familiar '80s song continue to play in my head: "Sugar free... in the night... / I'm sugar free... in the day / (All my sugar's gone, [she's] gone away).) Whether I'm trying to emulate the sounds of a Roland TR-808 drum machine for a drum track, or just watching the snow fall, I end up thinking about people that mean something to me, and in this case, a female companion.

It's no surprise that for someone as personable as I am, I tend to be rather aloof when it comes to discussing matters of the heart. (As long as mine keeps beating, I'm usually a happy customer.) Sarcasm and jokes aside, I've put my own ambitions second to only trying to help others out, no matter how successful those efforts may end up being. Compound this with me having a rather unsuccessful adolescence in terms of interactions with females, and I'm something of a jaded individual when it comes to romance.

But when it comes to this one girl... There's something different about her. Something intangible, a je ne sais quoi. I generally don't have time to consider dating a girl, so the word 'marriage' isn't in my extensive vocabulary at this point in my young life, but she's the kind of girl I could see myself marrying someday. She has a beautiful smile, real cute face, stunning figure, and these soft, brown eyes... And she's bright, too. She wants to be an elementary school teacher, and I can see why: She comes from the kind of family that I do, so being around kids isn't an issue with her.

I probably wouldn't even take the time out to write this if it wasn't something I think about some days when I get introspective, or don't have something to be doing at that exact moment. Absence must make the heart fonder, because when I was in town I tried to make time for her, but I didn't know what I was missing until I left. I guess what really struck me as different about her and set her apart from the other beautiful girls I come in contact with, is that she didn't need me to validate her... But she still enjoyed my company and chilling with me.

Whether we seriously get involved romantically is irrelevant at this point. As sweet as she's been to me, I wish her all the best.

Always Be On Time

2009-10-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

I hit the floor next to my bed too hard this morning... The only thing that kept me from zooming out of my house was the fact that I hadn't brushed my teeth, was barefoot, and perhaps even more telling... I was still in my night clothes. Ah, well. At least I woke up refreshed for once.

After doing all of these things, I went over the morning's headlines, both local and national, while simply annihilating some Froot Loops, which now are a good source of fiber, according the box. (Thanks for being so health conscious, Toucan Sam.) I knocked out a couple of routine tasks, and my usually boring morning actually flew by for once. All of this considered, that's where the topic of today's entry really comes from: What is time, and what does it mean to us as people?

I'm not trying to start some esoteric scientific discussion, but this has been something that's always puzzled me, especially growing up in a Christian household. In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we're taught that God created the Earth as we now know it in seven days, taking only the seventh off to rest. I'm not going to even go into the measurements of time in the Bible, because in the Old Testament people lived for hundreds of years seemingly and it would be a waste of time to try and quantize or measure anything from a holy book, let alone the Bible...

But I wonder: How long does a day last for the Father? One thousands years, a million... A google? At this evening's revival service, the guest speaker went on to talk about important numbers that appear throughout the Scriptures and picked a verse from Revelation to expound upon. As a Christian, I'm confident the Messiah will return when He is ready. I just find it interesting that as much as we could never do it, people some times try to think of God, heaven, or anything spiritual in scientific or even mathematical quantities.

For now, this is a verse I'm going to reflect on, from Revelations verse 11:15:

Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"

If that's the case, maybe time doesn't matter that much after all. As long as I'm on His time, I'll always be on time.

Carpe Diem

2009-10-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

With another day on the grind behind me, I have a few minutes to gather my thoughts before I try to get a solid eight hours of sleep... Or at least a chance to roll around in bed until the sunlight comes up. I hit the ground running as hard as it may have been to do so, due much in part to #MusicMonday on Twitter.

Yesterday was a full day. I had a great time preparing and enjoying a great Sunday dinner with a family friend, but there was one rotten apple in the otherwise great bunch of apples that I would call the different facets of my day. I finally got a response to an inquiry I had made, but it wasn't the one I was looking for... Or really needed, to be honest. It's cool though; it only made me work harder today.

The Man Upstairs must have seen me grinding with all this extra paperwork earlier, because I got an unexpected package in the mail way in advance. That was definitely a good look. Other than that, I had a chance to chill this evening and think my plans for the next couple months through. The most satisfying thing was probably the good advice I got from my Dad, but there was a track that I took apart and put back together that I cannot wait to finish tomorrow.

All in all, I'm alive to see another day, and if I don't see the next one tomorrow, I can say I had a great one. Live every day like it's your last, and carpe diem. (That's Latin for "Seize the day!")

Nothing Worth Recording

2009-10-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

It's been another "interesting" day for Legacy Elite, and I mean "interesting" in a good way. Many of the things I've been working on behind the scenes are coming to fruition, while others are coming together. I'm blessed and highly-favored by the Lord, so I expect nothing less than the best from me and those around me. God's had to put me in some humbling places just for me to admit this, but I have way too much to be happy about for me not to live life and enjoy it to the maximum. There are a lot of times when I forget I'm only in my mid-20s, and not in my mid-40s as my writings and my unique tastes in music and literature would lend people to believe.

I've gotten back into my production as serious as ever, and have cut back on a lot of junk that I feel wastes my time, such as mindless drivel in various forms of media: Corporate radio playlists, reality television (or really television in general), and literature that I cannot really get anything from. I believe this has to do with me looking at how certain songs or movies make me feel afterward as much as me having a birthday in a couple of years. After all, there are some songs, like TLC's "Waterfalls" that I will always love and reference as a piece of great music if someone asks me what great music sounds like someday... But other songs, which need no mention, don't make me feel the same way they did in high school.

Granted, I'm only 21, but outside of certain things that the older people in my family listened to or introduced me to, there aren't many records that drop today or I receive somehow that make me do a double-take. That's one of the things that make me enjoy making music, writing lyrics, and still learning how to combine the two: The chance to create something magical and timeless. When I listen to the first few bars of Tupac's "Dear Mama," I can't front: I almost tear up thinking about all my mother has done for my siblings and I. When I hear old '70s funk I instantly think of long road trips to Miami with my father and siblings and songs that seemed to last as long as I-95 itself.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that when I create music, it's coming from a special place, and if it doesn't, it can just as soon as go in the trash can. After all, what's music without some kind of soul or spirit in it? To me, it's nothing worth recording.

One Million and One

2009-10-09T22:09:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've updated my blog, but needless to say, I have my reasons. The seasons are changing and I've had more than enough to keep busy. One recurring thread that has quietly interwoven into the fabric that I call my life is gratitude. My year as been nothing short of incredible, be it from the dizzying highs or from the crushing lows.

Most people would think that triumph and defeat have nothing in common, but I beg to differ: They actually have everything in common. You flip a coin, and the result's going to be one or the other... There is no in-between. When we apply this rationale to life (and admittedly, as subjective as life can be at times, we probably shouldn't), life is ultimately a pass or fail course.

Sure you can say you cheated the teacher all those times you passed around answers in class, or even claim you cheated death that one night you fell asleep behind the wheel, but we're only cheating ourselves in the long run. I've learned that for better or worse, you can never cheat God. There are times when we feel like he isn't with us, or that we've avoided his judgment, but he always has the last word.

I say all of that to say this: Who are we, as mere human beings, to deny ourselves greatness? This question came up in a conversation with a friend and musical collaborator about our musical aspirations earlier this summer, and there was something about the conversation that resonated with me: He was to entitle one of his mix tapes "Glory or Death," and that profound title hit me hard. As someone who's been told that they have so much potential or could be anything I wanted to be my whole life, I've dealt with adversity and underestimation... But most of it has come from within my own mind. We are our own worst enemies, and once we can accept that, it allows us the freedom to make mistakes. After all, nobody is perfect!

I believe Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan said it best: "I can accept failure, but I cannot accept not trying." As I'm getting older, I'd rather fall on my face one million times just to say I got back up one million and one. How about you?

Gametime

2009-09-12T21:40:00.000-07:00

They say all work no play makes the person in question rather boring, don't they? If that's the case, I must be a boring dude. All I know how to do is work hard!

This is probably why I am taking a break. Because If I work as hard as I say I do, I seldom think of even relaxing for the mere sake of doing it. So for me, going on hiatus is out of the question.

Thank God I'm not the only person who cares about me.

To anyone out there wondering what it would be like if I actually focused on dropping that mixtape someday soon, or compiling those essays, or fleshing out those pitches, or even just coming back home for a minute like I said I would everyday since I left in 2006...

Thank you. You remind me that as hard as I work and as much potential I have to make a difference someday, the most interesting thing is that I may of already have.

This is Legacy Elite, going into the fourth quarter. Gametime.

Experience

2009-09-09T12:23:00.000-07:00

At 21 years, I can say that I've had a decent run. I am in no way suicidal nor do I have a defeatist attitude towards my shortcomings so far in life, but I can finally look in the mirror each night when I scrub my enormous teeth, and get my winks in so that when I hear my alarm the following morning, it happens:

I hop up out the bed, turn my swag on, and well... You know the rest.

The only thing was, for the past month, I could not do that, for two good reasons. (Hint: They both came out of my mouth.)

My sideways wisdom teeth had to come out! Bloody murder! "No!" I screamed subconsciously.

Jokes aside, I say all that to say this: From missing the beginning of semester to basically being incubated from my normal life (which features everything from daily Tweets about random-yet-noteworthy events and trying to develop a jumper that may never come naturally to me), we as people never realize how valuable our lives are until they're gone. Mentally, it was like I never left; I still read the paper daily and when I felt creative, would write in my journal.

Ultimately though, I yearned to be in a different place physically, and emotionally, I was bitter that my prognosis was coming sooner than later.

We, especially all my fellow young people out there, have to stop making excuses for ourselves, especially finding reasons to be sad and despondent. There can always be darker days, and believe you me, I'm saying that from experience.

Heaven Is A Playground (Part II)

2009-06-28T08:10:00.000-07:00

As as young man, and more importantly, a Christian, I want the odds stacked against me 11 out of ten times here in the physical world. In the fourth quarter of this game called life, I want all the pressure on me. Even if my running mate is on the bench that last crucial stretch of the game, mired in foul trouble.

While we're at it, put a couple of my team's youngest and most inexperienced players on the court alongside me. Let the more caustic opposing fans talk about my now-infamous stay in Colorado almost a full five years ago. I can see their signs saying I am a whining baby that could never win without the greatest center of my generation.

They told my virtual mentor in this sport the world has dubbed "basketball" that he couldn't fly anymore in 1998. He was in my same position with different shoes on his feet: An All-Star and All-NBA selection starting in the NBA Finals at shooting guard, but as I have on my signature Nike Zoom Kobe IV's, he wore his now-legendary "Last Shot" Nike Air Jordan XIV's.

But this isn't about him.

It's about Him working through me, and more importantly, my teammate: a point guard in the twilight of his career whose airborne shots look like solar eclipses to the detached retinas of our formidable opponents.

I want the fans of the other team to berate me after I misfire an airball in overtime, just like I did against that ice cold team with the stellar floor leader and the postman that even worked on Sundays, more than a decade ago.

But I'm wiser and stronger now. I think about my father, who was a member of championship teams before I was even born. He didn't win those games by himself. He couldn't, especially considering he spent most of his time on the bench.

I don't have to, either.

I look to my left and make the biggest assist of the season and one of the biggest of my future Hall of Fame career to the man "they" said was too slow to run with our opponents swift, young guards. His left arm extends and he flicks his left rest so the ball rotates like God just fired the whole world out of his left hand.

Swish.

It's his second three and world be the deciding shot of that game, and ultimately, the series. A trifecta unlke any other, and believe you me, I've seen some crazy shots in my fairly short time on this green and blue planet.

In my own game of life, metaphors and allusions aside, let my father God be Hall of Fame-bound coach Phil Jackson, and my teammate four-time NBA Champion Derek Fisher, be my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. My father has promised us and made it to the Promised Land time and time again. He is undefeated when chances at winning the greatest trophy of them all are on the line.And Jesus, you ask?He never misses in the clutch and saved me from a dark, heatbreaking defeat... No matter how selfish and childish I have been acting.

Heaven is a playground.

Heaven Is A Playground

2009-06-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

Before I begin, I have to show some love to my friend Alisha, always representing LA to tthe fullest (yet she has a better Polo collection than I do... :-/)

My life can be summed up in four words right now: "Live in the Sky." I'm not even talking about the song of the same name by rapper / activist Clifford "T.I." Harris.

For one thing, I know for certain that if I cannot count on any organismon on this planet, dead or living, I can always count on my celestrial father, the majestic Jehovah Jirah.

Additionally, the old adage has proven all too true for me now at 21 more than ever: "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

For example, look at the dismantling of New York Cify rap supergroup the Diplomats by fraudulent Kufi-smacker Jim Jones. (Jim, why is Stack Bundles' family getting no money even though you use his lyrics in your published, major label songs?)

Moreover, a statement made by Grammy-winning music producer Bryan-Michael Cox has proven to be eerily prophertic in my life: "Money makes the [stuff] funny.]

Like my man 100K told me a month or so ago, "Money and family are like oil and water... They don't mix."

Regardless of the tough lessons I 've learned, though, I want to leave the reader with this. As the old sports maxim goes, "It ain't over until it's over."

After all, NBA great and three-time NBA Champion guard Derek Fisher missed five of his first seven signature, "lefty" three-point attempts in Game Four of the 2009 NBA Finals. He only made his last two shots.

Those "last" two shots were the beginning of the end for the Orlando Magic in the fourth game of an incendiary playoff, and perhaps more importantly, championship series.

Final score:

ORLANDO 91
LOS ANGELES 99

(To be continued...)

'Swag Season'

2009-05-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, I bounded out of my bed, took a long look in the mirror (word to Michael Jackson), and said 'What's up?' After all, I'm on break until Summer I starts in a couple of weeks. Last night, I got home from the gym pretty late, but just in time to see the Magic upset the Cavs. My swagger was at 1.9 trillion. I turned on the stereo in the garage, got me some strawberry Fanta, and they started playing some sick jawns on the local hip-hop station. I was jerking with no hands, mastered my Rack Daddy x Frankie x Ricky Bobby, and even segued into a swag surf. It was just me, the dim light in the garage, my headphones plugged into the stereo system, and visions of spending time with my girl this weekend.

Then it happened.

At 2:30 A.M., this lady storms downstairs in her nightclothes, and in broken English / Spanish, says: "What the @%$# are you still doing up? Go to @#$%@(( bed." I started to tell her that I'm on summer break, but I didn't want to get smashed in the face (for probably and literally the 96th time in my evanescent life) with those nefarious chancletas.

My swagger instantaneously dropped to -21. I now have to work harder than ever if I want to succeed this 'swag season.'

When One Closes, Another One Opens

2009-05-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

For better or worse, it's been a wild semester for me.

I've had people close to me perish, in ways physical, spiritual, and mental.

As easy as it is for me to say I'm going to pray for someone, one of the hardest things for me to do is to pray for myself, no matter how much I might need guidance from the Man Upstairs.

Looking at a few different things in my life right now, I know for a fact that I'm going to have to start giving up some of my current obligations. As much as it pains me to say it, outside of weekly Bible Study and one other major organization I am a part of at school, I'm going to have to pare things down to the bare essentials.

All I can do is my best, and pray to the Lord for guidance, no matter how tough times may get and how hopeless I may feel at times.

After all when one door or window closes, another one opens...

"Flaw"

2009-05-03T15:51:00.000-07:00

Wow, this morning was an anomaly.

I didn't hear my alarm clock go off. I actually slept in. Guess what time I woke up?

...9:30 A.M. That's late by my usual standards. Oh well, I still got plenty of stuff done today all over the place.

And since I just finished writing a long comment in reference to Officer Rick... er, "Rick Ross," why not share it with the masses?

In response to Boney Starks in reference to Phonte's sticking up for Rick Ross:

...With all due respect Tommie, who appointed Phonte the omnipotent hip-hop
critic? Some of his points are valid, but at other times he sounds contrite and
bitter that he no longer has 9th Wonder as a collaborator and Little Brother
never really hit well with the mainstream crowd.

The difference between OB4CL and Officer Ricky's material is that it was a concept album that represented the Wu mythology and much of the decadence of early-90s New York better than any album outside of Illmatic, the greatest hip-hop album of all time.

Ross, on the other time, is flippantly fraudulent about his actual criminal
exploits, and since we've found out that he was actually a correctional officer
in real life, has become a living paradox. Many people in Ross' circle are
legit, but he is what they call "flaw" in Liberty City, Overtown, et. al.

One More Time

2009-05-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

When exchanging contacts, a friend recently asked me why I only accept calls during certain hours of the day or night. I'm usually not home. Half of the time when I'm on FaceBook or Twitter or what have you, I'm literally not even in front of a computer. I don't consider my schedule "crazy," but I have to make sacrifices if I want to be successful someday.

07:25 AM: Wake up

07:45: Leave home for campus to help set up Community Picnic / Chili Cook-Off

09:00: Get my first break, first actual meal of the day. (Go to the library to check my e-mail / study)

09:20: Return to courtyard to continue setting up displays, assisting vendors / retailers / staff

10:45: Make my rounds and continue to help out middle school / elem. students on field trip

11:00 Go to Central Texas College / Tarleton Gym with Gina to deliver food to the ppl. @ the front desk

11:20: Go back, get more food for the men and go back to the courtyard again to begin taking everything down

12:00 PM: Everything is taken down for the most part. Now SIFE / Culinary Arts / Great Western volunteers are putting the food away and indoors before it starts raining.

12:30: Everything is put away. Now we go into the kitchen to put away the food, take a break to get something to drink.

13:00: We are finally finished. I get my food for my mother and family and put it in one of the freezers / fridges in the kitchen.

13:30: I go into the library to check e-mail / study some more.

14:00: I go to CTC Gym do agility and shooting drills, in addition to calisthenics

15:00: I shower, clear out my locker for the semester. Go back to the library to study some more / check more e-mails

15:30: Go back to the gym, but remember I left something in the Student Center...

16:00-30: I see Steph that works in the library in the Student Center waiting for his ride to another county. We walk up to the gym to shoot-around / chop it up for a minute

17:00-18:30: I take a break, get my notes / things together/ shoot some pool / watch ESPN until my ride comes

18:30: Ride with my mother to run errands go to the Mall

19:00: Arrive at the mall looking for some new Hyperdunkcs or some light-weight basketball shoes for a decent price since my Huarache 2K4's snakeskin literally snapped after I've been walking miles and through grass and playing basketball in them

19:30: Go to Xpressive Streetwear and find a flier for a mixer in another county over hosted by OZONE Magaazine and other local, prominent talent

20:00: Go to Dillard's to find a nice linen pant appropriate for the weather

20:30: Finally leave the Mall, go home and eat, talk to my Mother, and clean up and put my things away

21:00: Talk to Da Mic Wrecka about securing credentials / VIP pass

21:20: Consult with a liason about procuring a ride to the next county over

21:45: Begin getting dressed / etc.

22:30: Liason arrives at home and I introduce him to my family

23:15: We are finally in Heights. It takes us a minute to find the club because of all the clubs on Veteran's Memorial

23:35: Ask for Big Will @ the door; get my wristband

00:00-2:30 A.M.: Consult and network with various entities, enterprises, and tastemakers

2:45: My cab arrives...

3:05: I finally get home, take out the trash, do the dishes, clean up, edit some notes and highlight contact information

3:20: I call and check up on a friend in another time zone

3:38: I finally start to fall asleep.

"If you don't work, you don't eat. If you don't grind, you won't shine. (But you said that line before!) Well I'ma say it one more time..."

-Mike Jones

Complicated (Redux)

2009-04-20T05:21:00.000-07:00

I really was hoping I wouldn't have to make a sequel to "Complicated," but for as much as I understand about the universe and sports and music, I am absolutely clueless when it comes to females. They say they want caring and understanding, and when you give it to them they take it and run the opposite way, like All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha picking off your favorite quarterback in the endzone.

Exactly like that.

You think you finally have something, you think you got those six points and scored--and when I mean score, I'm not taking about some sexual conquest--and then the corner plays under and takes it the other way the length of the field for a touchdown. Pick-6. I'm now negative on the scoreboard. An even better example is the end of the first half of Super Bowl XLIII: The Cardinals were primed for a score, and then the unthinkable happens--they lose the ball.

Why do I keep losing the ball? My quarterback vision could be better but I can see a blitz coming 20 yards away. My defensive line is small but they're quick on the feet and get the job done, like the legendary Zone-Blocking scheme. I know I have what it takes to win a championship, but apparently no one else out there feels the same way. All I can keep doing is going back to the drawing board in the locker room, working on new offensive formations with my receivers and backs, and hope that my team will catch that miracle at the end of the game, like Santonio Holmes did at the end of Super Bowl XLIII.

Maybe I need to stop dealing with girls and start getting to know women.

Complicated

2009-04-18T10:06:00.001-07:00

For some unfathomable reason, a former classmate who shall go nameless in addition to a myriad of other females seem to believe my musings on love and relationships are all in vain or for some carnal purpose.

I liken love to basketball, chess, Othello, dominoes, and other games of chance.

In Algebra I in eighth grade, or perhaps Algebra II in tenth, we learned about probability, exponential realities, and Fibonacci sequences.

In dominoes, there are literally exponential possibilities as far as the final outcome for the ultimate victor. No matter what happens, you are never defeated until you submit to your one, two, or three opponents. You control the person in front of you, and can effectively shut down the person two people ahead of you. Like we learned in Chemistry in tenth grade, this becomes a chain reaction.

In Othello, Pressman's tag line could never be more apt: "A minute to learn... A lifetime to master." You can become cornered, dominated. If you can establish unity among your pieces on the board, divide and conquer, and ultimately unify your 'army,' you can outflank your opponent in the end game and emerge victorious.

When my brother brought home a chess set from Richmond Academy in the sixth grade, he taught me the fundamentals and different styles of game play. There are three segments to one game: The opening game, the middle-game, and the end-game. Throughout the first two segments, you are never defeated. (One of the most important tenets of chess is that your opponent does not beat you; but rather, you beat yourself.) You can move and attack your opponent piece for piece, and continue to lose major personnel, but you are never implicated in defeat until the end-game. Even in the end-game, you can prolong your defeat, and by moving within a certain amount of moves, you can emerge with a stalemate. If you choose to give up, you eventually become cornered and the result is your defeat in checkmate.

In basketball, there's three parts of a half-court: The left wing, top of the key, and the right wing. I take 100 shots from each wing and 50 from the the top of the key, rotating between both hands. I sometimes practice stutter steps, jab steps, fadeaways, and the like. Of these shots, only half reach the vicinity of the rim. Of those that do, only half go in. Of those that go in, only half look technically-sound, or "beautiful."

In love, you don't know who will love you and eventually marry someday. They could be white, Black, Brown, Indian, Arabian, Asian, extra-terrestrial, celestial, or what have you. Only a Higher Power knows. The only thing that matters is that they love you and want to be with you.

Life really is that simple. It's only as complicated as we as people make it for ourselves.

81

2009-04-18T00:34:00.000-07:00

My favorite athletes are polarizing iconoclasts like Kobe Bryant, Terrell Owens, and Usain Bolt. You probably think I have some sort of superiority complex, right? Not at all.

The thing is, these athletes are probably the only ones that I can actually relate to on a personal level. When I play basketball I try to emulate Richard Hamilton, Reggie Miller, Tayshaun Prince, Josh Smith, and Andrei Kirilenko because I have a similar frame or skill set to most of them.

When I was younger no one ever wanted me on their team or wanted to be around me. People ask why I set such hard picks on curls and back cuts now: It's because when I was younger I was too frail to set a good pick and would either get ran through or I would end up in the ground. Cue the violins. I feel so sorry for myself.

I never had particularly good mechanics in respects to any sport I tried to play. I was too slow to run track, lacked the lung capacity for that as well, had too bad of coordination to play baseball or football, and was too frail for most of these activities. It's like now, when I go to the gym I do all my shooting drills and ball handling drills and agility and strength-enhancing drills by myself. Outside of a few close friends, I'm very reticent when it comes to the gym. Especially since I bust my face open last week.

Do I feel like I have a chip on my shoulder? No; it's more like a mountain. But every great person had to have some sort of chip on their shoulder, so I don't harp on it. I don't feel sorry for myself. I don't want anyone else to either.

Who knows, maybe when I get older people will actually value my company. It's whatever. Am I distant? No. Is Kobe distant? How about TO? Or Bolt? You might say so, but if you knew what they had to deal with as youths, you wouldn't say that.

What's Kobe's career high? 81. What number does TO wear? 81. As a multiple of three, that's the only number that matters to me at any gym, sandlot, or playground.

Trigger-nometry

2009-04-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

After heavy deliberation, I've tabulated a formula for gentlemen to calculate their gross swagger product, or GSP:

(Shoes) + (Polo) + (Abercrombie) x (Swagger) =

(S) + (P) + (A) x (S) = (Ronaldhino Air Force I) + (Ralph Lauren Polo custom fit rainbow XL) +

(A F cargo pants) x (10,000²²) =

($150) + ($70) + ($65) x (a google or 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) =

2,850,000²²

My GSP is 285 to the 26th power.

Calculate yours. Many of the variables are interchangable.

Quoth the legendary Polo Dro: "Mathematically, with a ______ I do trigger-nometry."

23 Ways to A Billion Dollars

2009-04-14T08:52:00.001-07:00

I'm sure that by now, people probably think I have some sort of vendetta against future NBA Hall of Famer LeBron James. This couldn't be farther from the truth.

While living in Idaho, I actually went to the Champs Sports in the Boise Towne Square mall in autumn 2006 the day the Zoom LeBron IV's were released and paid cash money for them, which was what, $150? I wore those things to death. Foamposite works well in snow, so I literally wore these shoes everyone outside of formal events.

As an aspiring journalist in Augusta, Georgia, I first read about LeBron James in the September 2001 issue of Slam magazine. I was amazed by what I read in the story, because this guy wasn't that much older than me, and he was draped in all these new adidas threads. He had the carbon fiber KOBE's on; a clean adidas track suit, and didn't look that much stronger than my father, but was really tall.

(This is especially worth noting, because back in 2001 the ABCD Camp was still sponsored by adidas and legendary sneaker impresario Sonny Vaccaro.)

He didn't really have much of a nuclear family, outside of his mother, her boyfriend, his AAU and high school teammates, and his coaches. He sounded very reserved and mature for a 17-year-old kid. I could really relate to that, because as large as my family is, it's been very makeshift during some parts of my life, and I never really liked opening up to people I had just met when I was younger.

Throughout the story, LeBron displayed little idiosyncrasies that would portend an illuminant future, like signing autographs differently every single time he touched something, so that no one could fabricate his signature. I was just amazed by how normal he was as someone getting press in a major sports publication.

Fast forward to today, April 13th, 2009. LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers have secured the number one overall seed in the 2009 NBA Playoffs and he is as a heavy favorite to receive the NBA's coveted MVP award, and a lock for several other awards, such as All-NBA First Team, All-NBA Defensive First Team, et. al.

I just wonder: LeBron, as blessed as you are physically and mentally, do you really need Commissioner Stern to implement a rule so you can dominate even moreso next season? You take as much of a beating as anyone in today's NBA, but the crab dribble would literally have you averaging a triple-double next season. Truth be told, today's NBA is a fraudulent mockery of yesterday's NBA. NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan played against some of the toughest defenses and defenders in the annals of basketball history, and still dominated.

There is no hand-checking in today's NBA. There is now a three-second-in-the-key rule. You can actually play zone defense in today's NBA. Commissioner Stern, I understand you want to globalize the NBA. Yo entiendes todo eso; yo soy Latino. But at what cost?

I'm a very labile person and never put anything out of the picture. But are we really helping or hurting the legacies of players like LeBron James? Don't let the money distort your vision of the future of basketball.

3-Peat

2009-04-13T13:50:00.000-07:00

I don't believe in numerology, witchcraft, freemasonry, or any of that stuff, and am not very superstitious, but I do believe good things come in 3's. Here's proof:

-Allen Iverson wore the number 3 throughout his Hall of Fame basketball career, most notably as a rookie when he won the NBA Rookie of the Year award.

-D.J. Shockley wore the number 3 in his decorated collegiate football career at the University of Georgia.

-My cousin Alex wore the number 12 throughout his notable high school football career, a multiple of 3.

-In the Christian church, there's a Trinity: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

-The three major organized religions all refer to a higher power, but refer to 'It' as a something different: Jehovah Jirah, Allah, and Yahweh.

-The numbers in my birthdate (10/29/1987) all up to 2046, a multiple of 3 with no remainders.

-My parents originally had three children, my brother, my sister, and I.

-There were Three Musketeers in the old English tale.

-I was 21 when I gave my life back to Christ, a multiple of 3.

-One of the most powerful and successful offenses in basketball history is the Triangle offense, revolutionized by Tex Winter and utilized by Phil Jackson during his stints with the championship Chicago Bulls teams of the '90s and and the championship Los Angeles Lakers teams of the '00s.

-Lil' Wayne has reached the apex of his musical career with the third installment of his Carter series, The Carter III.

I don't want people to think I'm some sort of religious zealot or stark raving lunatic, but I do believe everything happens for a reason, especially when it comes to 3's...

A psalm of David.

2009-04-12T03:07:00.000-07:00

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

Things could always be worse!

Reappraisal

2009-04-11T01:38:00.000-07:00

Since I'm still up taking care of some administrative work and talking to a friend, I thought I'd give some background on a new skill I've recently developed: Reappraisal.

There's an excellent article on it the current issue of Details magazine, but in a nutshell: Reappraisal is a skill people learn after they've almost literally failed and have been rejected in every facet of life. No matter what comes their way, they still roll with the punches and keep a smile on their face.

As someone who's failed time and time again and been rejected in so many different ways over the course of my fairly evanescent life, I've steadily learned to never let anything get me down in terms of the long-term. No matter what happens, as long as I am still alive, I tell myself, "Things could always be worse. My mother and father are both living testaments of that statement.

Your life could always be worse. Don't give up!

"...I'm doing my best."

2009-04-08T21:48:00.000-07:00

Ever feel like your best just isn't good enough?

I feel like that more than I would care to... Our life on this planet is a crazy thing, I guess. God never gives us more than we can handle, but according to people we come in contact with, it seems like we're not capable of handling all we're responsible for.

Negative things don't bother me anymore, but hearing them from people I care about... I won't even front: It hurts sometimes. It could be a family member, relative, close friend... Any of the above. At 21, I couldn't care less what a stranger says about me. After all, I hear something new everyday:

"Your teeth are too big."
"Your skin is too light."
"You're too soft."
"You're too nerdy."

But when someone you care about or respect says something to you... It's different. It actually stings.

One thing I don't take lightly is when people who supposedly care about me and know question my ambition, my hunger, or my initiative towards creating a better life for me and those around me. I don't want anyone's sympathy, but I am getting too old to keep being modest about everything I do or don't do.

I usually wake up at 6 o' clock Monday through Friday and 8 o' clock on the weekends. I usually don't go to bed until midnight, or whenever I feel like everything at home (on top of everything else) is done. Whichever comes first. I clean and organize things with a spirited fervor; I guess that comes from being around military people all my life. I'm a stickler for details; when I iron my dress clothes they have to be sharply-creased. My dress shoes have to be shone to the point they begin to gleam like Waterford crystal.

I always have something to write with on me, be it a pen or pencil, and will take notes with either hand (however legible they may be) just to make sure I got a phone number, address, e-mail, or website down. I constantly keep track of military time even when I don't wear a watch. I'm always reading something, be it a magazine, newspaper, book, or just the nutrition facts on the back of a food product.

My point is, I'm not just some romantic who thinks his dream is going to magically appear out of thin air. I don't know what some people's perceptions of me are, but I can be extremely pragmatic and objective. I'm working hard to be the best person I can be.

"...I'm doing my best."

Know Thyself

2009-03-30T16:14:00.001-07:00

People ask me all the time how I'm so outgoing and how I can keep a smile on my face, even on rainy days. They ask me how I know how to talk to almost any person that walks by me. They tell me I'm a "people person." If only they knew.

Contrary to popular belief, I really don't like talking about myself that much. I will literally talk about anything else in the world during conversation with a stranger before I actually talk about me, Michael. Some may attribute that to low self-esteem or something of the sort, I don't know. I just really don't like talking about myself, especially not in a positive light. To be completely honest, I don't even like taking pictures. There's not much, if anything, to see.

For emphasis, I think I went for three years using MySpace without having an actual picture of myself up. I might look in the mirror twice daily, and that's when I get fresh in the morning and brush my teeth at night. Interestingly enough, an acquaintance once told me that I don't know how to take compliments from people. It's not so much that I don't know how, so much as I'm not used to receiving them.

It's strange, I guess. Up until just recently, I've always felt very out of place just about anywhere I've been. I supposedly speak too proper to be Black, but have features too Black to be Hispanic. I'm Hispanic but could never speak perfect Spanish; I can only roll my tongue on a good day. All the other men on both sides of my family are short and stocky, and I'm tall and lanky. White people don't seem to readily accept me because I still look like some sort of spook, or whatever it is they call us these days.

One thing I never really liked was my complexion. For some strange reason, many darker Black people always get the impression that I feel like I'm better than they are because I am light-skinned. That was only one of many things I got picked on for in school, but probably the one I hated the most. I used to spend many days outside during the summer in hopes of getting darker and blending in with everyone else at school and elsewhere, but to no avail. The only light-skinned people outside of my family I was ever really familiar with were on television or in movies, so it was years before I realized that they actually existed and my siblings and I weren't some kind of wretched curses.

Don't get me wrong: We received plenty of love at home. My parents did an amazing job raising us. It's just that society as a whole, even in the late 20th century, collectively had (and still has) a myopic vision as far as interracial relationships go. My mother recently told me that everyday was a struggle being married to my father, if nothing else because Black women abhorred her union with my father and made it no secret any time they saw them in public together. She said she had to be able to do everything twice, if not three times as well as a Hispanic lady. It's crazy, but that's probably why she can cook better soul food than 95% of the Black women I've ever come in contact with.

When it's all said and done, I guess I'm a decent individual. I just really don't like how people are so xenophobic when it comes to having to accept different types of people. "Know thyself," Socrates said. I suppose that's all I can do.