What I Learned Sunday – I Know Nothing – Father’s Day

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Anthony Bourdain, Atlanta, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, California, Father's Day, Georgia, Key Yemaya Walker, Keypsiia, Keypsiia Walker, Keypsiia Yemaya Walker, Sacramento

“…as you move through this life, and this world, you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life and travel leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks on your body, or your heart are beautiful. Often though, they hurt…” ~ Anthony Bourdain

After 42 years, I’m honest enough to say, ‘I know nothing.’ Life happens the way it is supposed, and it may not develop as you decided to plan out. There were days that I sought out certain goals and places in my life…a route that I had full control of. Times before, I was the great and cool uncle. I’ve experienced devotion and love in that role, from calming my nieces, to travel vast distances regularly to see their development from an infant to a toddler and adolescent. I don’t know what it is to be a father. To stand there in awe as my child is being born. To face my insecurities as I try guide this precious life in the right direction and not project what I want onto them.

Each day, I’m learning what it feels like to be a father. I’m about 2.5 to 3 years late, but to marvel at this young life. There is nothing that melts your heart like a 3 year old telling you she ‘loves you,’ nor is there pain like when she cries when you leave on an airplane after telling her that ‘the last time you left, was the last time that you were going to leave.’

I easily remember a time that I said that I was ‘lucky,’ to be corrected that I was ‘blessed.’ This little girl has blessed, and remanufactured our lives in ways that can not be explained. As I right this, I’m her jungle gym…among other things.

On this Father’s Day, I can’t tell you that I understand my parents, or my father. I surely can’t tell you that I’m experienced or an expert on this, I learn multiple new things each day. I’m wowed by the person she is, daily, and I’ve learned a new type of love. Everyday I’m thankful.

The manuscript Blue Lines is the fictional coming of age narrative of a young California woman Key Yemaya Walker, and her 2 year growing journey through school, love, and life period piece, written by Kenneth Suffern, Jr., taking place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill between the years of 1997 – 1998. Loosely based on true events, and experiences during that time, told through the eyes and voice of the main female protagonist, a freshman first attending the school

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Text Tuesdays – New Prose – “…on my mind”

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2018, Atlanta, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, California, Chapel Hill, Georgia, Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop Music, Key Yemaya Walker, Keypsiia, Keypsiia Walker, Keypsiia Yemaya Walker, New York, North Carolina, poetry, Prose, Sacramento, Text Tuesdays, UNC, UNC Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

We met as children,
Red clay on our hands,
Brown sun burned bodies,
Smiles as we watched long days…
Melt into southern sunsets,

With time I got older,
I yearned to leave,
My Mom didn’t like you,
The taste of peaches,
I remembered on my lips,

I went home,
Where I felt right,
Sometimes I missed you,
But I didn’t think of you often,
I gave up Peaches for Apples,

Celebrating the Life of Prince O(+> 2 Years Later – A Different Take – C Week Ƭ̵̬̊

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1958, 2011, 2016, actor, April, Arista, Atlanta, Atlanta Braves, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, California, Chanhassan, Coachella, Coachella Festival, Coachella Valley, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, college, Columbia, Death, EMI, Forum, Funk, Georgia, Girl, Girlfriend, Great Western Forum, Guns 'N Roses, Housequake, How can you just leave me standing?, If I Was Your Girlfriend, Indio, Jamie Starr, Joey Coco, Joy In Repetition, Key Yemaya Walker, Keypsiia, Keypsiia Walker, Keypsiia Yemaya Walker, LA Forum, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Dodgers, Love, March, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mourn, MSG Entertainment, Myla Watson, NPG, Oakland, Oracle Arena, Paisley Park, pop, Prince, Prince Nelson, Prince Rogers Nelson, Producer, Purple Rain, R&B, record producer, Rest in Peace, Rest in Peace sweet Prince, rock, Sacramento, Sign O The Times, Singer, Singer-songwriter, Sometimes it Snows in April, Take Me With U, The artist formerly known as Prince, The Fabulous Forum, The Fabulous Fox, The Forum, The Forum presented by Chase, The Madison Square Garden Company, Universal, Usher, Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Records

Instead of talking about that day, how I felt, or loss, this year I will be different and a celebration. The first year was shock, and Coachella tributes, last year (2017) was my tattoo and party on the anniversary.

In 2011, I made a last minute decision to travel to California…mind you, Los Angeles. In the process of that trip, a late decision was made to attend the Prince residency at the historic Fabulous Forum in Inglewood California on 4/21/11. The building had been recently returned to its venue status, after being a church since the teams had left years ago for Staples Center.

After an already full day, with a game of the Atlanta Braves beating the Los Angeles Dodgers, however losing the series, my iPhone died as we pulled into the Forum parking lot. Excited to see Prince, though the scalped price of $100 per ticket, for face value $25 tickets was not agreeable, especially through my nemesis StubHub, we arrived, and you could hear The Time performing through the paper-thin walls of the building.

Initially our tickets scanned as “already entered,” and I just shook my head on the money spent, knowing that I could’ve gotten legitimate tickets, though we later found out that the tickets were just printed multiple times. Upon entering, the set list was as follows:

Hip-Hop Quotable Wednesdays – Pulitzer Prize Kendrick Lamar feat Rihanna – “LOYALTY.” C Week

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1986, 1987, 1988, 2017, 2018, Ab-Soul, Aftermath, Alternative, Anderson .Paak, Atlanta, Barbados, Black, Black Hippy, Black Panther, Black Panther Soundtrack, Bloody Waters, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, Brandon Paak Anderson, Breezy Lovejoy, California, Carson, Chapel Hill, Compton, Dacoury Natche, DAMN, Def Jam, Def Jam Recordings, Del Amo, Digi+Phonics, DJ Dahi, drums, electronic, Enfield, England, experimental Hip-Hop, Ferrari, Footprints, Funk, Georgia, Glock, Hail Mary, Harmonimix, Herbert Stevens IV, Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop Music, Hip-Hop Quotable, Hip-Hop Quotable Wednesdays, Interscope, Jamaica, James Blake, James Litherland, Jazz, jazz fusion, Kendrick Duckworth, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, Key Yemaya Walker, keyboard, Keypsiia, Keypsiia Walker, Keypsiia Yemaya Walker, Killmonger, Korean, Kung Fu Kenny, London, Los Angeles, Mark Spears, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, MCU, North Carolina, One-Take Blake, Oxnard, percussion, piano, Pop-Rap, post-dubstep, Pulitzer Prize, R&B, Ralph's, Rapper, Rihanna, Robin Hannibal, Robin Hannibal Mølsted Braun, Robyn Rihanna Fenty, Roc Nation, songwriter, Soul, Soundtrack, Sounwave, Stones Throw, synthesizer, T'Challa, Terrace Jamahl Martin, Terrace Martin, The Lox, Top Dawg, Top Dawg Entertainment, UNC, UNC Chapel Hill, United Kingdom, United States, Universal Music Publishing Group, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Vocals, Zacari

Last years glo-up, Pulitzer Prize winning artist and album (2018).
[DJ Dahi:]
I said I’m geeked and I’m fired up (fired, fire)
All I want tonight is just get high up (high, high, high)
Girl, you look so good, it’s to die for (die for)
Ooh, that p—y good, it’s to die for (on fire)

[Kendrick Lamar & Rihanna:]
It’s a secret society
All we ask is trust
(All we ask is trust)
All we got is us
Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty
Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty

[Kendrick Lamar:]
Kung Fu Kenny now
My resume is real enough for two millenniums
A better way to make a wave, stop defendin’ them
I meditate and moderate all of my wins again
I’m hangin’ on the fence again
I’m always on your mind
I put my lyric and my lifeline on the line
And ain’t no limit when I might shine, might grind
You rollin’ with it at the right time, right now
(Only for the dollar sign)
[https://youtu.be/Dlh-dzB2U4Y]

Music Mondays – Cardi B – “Bodak Yellow” C Week

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2018, Atlanta, Belcalis Almanzar, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, Blue Lines Coachella Weekend, Bodak Yellow, California, Cardi B, Chapel Hill, Coachella, Coachella 2018, Coachella Festival, Coachella Valley, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Georgia, Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop Music, Indio, Key Yemaya Walker, Keypsiia, Keypsiia Walker, Keypsiia Yemaya Walker, music, Music Festival, Music Mondays, New York, North Carolina, Sacramento, Stripper, The Bronx, trap, UNC, UNC Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Not a fan…but when she went mammo with that hood lamaze class performance yesterday, you get all the props chick. #SlowClap #CardiChella


The manuscript Blue Lines is the fictional coming of age narrative of a young California woman Key Yemaya Walker, and her 2 year growing journey through school, love, and life period piece, written by Kenneth Suffern, Jr., taking place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill between the years of 1997 – 1998. Loosely based on true events, and experiences during that time, told through the eyes and voice of the main female protagonist, a freshman first attending the school.

Hip-Hop Quotable Wednesdays – Ab-Soul, Anderson .Paak, & James Blake – “Bloody Waters”

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1986, 1987, 2018, Ab-Soul, Aftermath, Alternative, Anderson .Paak, Atlanta, Black, Black Hippy, Black Panther, Black Panther Soundtrack, Bloody Waters, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, Brandon Paak Anderson, Breezy Lovejoy, California, Carson, Chapel Hill, Compton, Del Amo, Digi+Phonics, drums, electronic, Enfield, England, experimental Hip-Hop, Footprints, Funk, Georgia, Glock, Hail Mary, Harmonimix, Herbert Stevens IV, Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop Music, Hip-Hop Quotable, Hip-Hop Quotable Wednesdays, Interscope, Jamaica, James Blake, James Litherland, Kendrick Duckworth, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, Key Yemaya Walker, keyboard, Keypsiia, Keypsiia Walker, Keypsiia Yemaya Walker, Killmonger, Korean, London, Los Angeles, Mark Spears, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, MCU, North Carolina, One-Take Blake, Oxnard, percussion, piano, Pop-Rap, post-dubstep, R&B, Ralph's, Rapper, Robin Hannibal, Robin Hannibal Mølsted Braun, songwriter, Soul, Soundtrack, Sounwave, Stones Throw, synthesizer, T'Challa, The Lox, Top Dawg, Top Dawg Entertainment, UNC, UNC Chapel Hill, United Kingdom, United States, Universal Music Publishing Group, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Vocals, Zacari

[Ab-Soul:]
Meet the man in the mask
Meet the man in the mask
[James Blake:]
All those days and all that stays and
I don’t keep it
I won’t be here for it
All those days and all that stays and
I don’t keep it though
I won’t be here for it

[Anderson .Paak:]
Yes Lord, huh
Hail Mary’s in the sky
Bossed up let’s get buried alive
Head on the throne ’cause that’s where I reside (reside)
Ways of the world that we won’t survive
Something’s in the water
My n—a we lawless (lawless)
Please move with caution
Who set the fair way? (fair way)
Damn right I need all this (all this)
Yeah Jack I need all this, eyy

Music Mondays – Little Dragon – “Best Friends”

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2018, Alternative, Atlanta, Because, Best Friends, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, California, Chapel Hill, chill out, dance, downtempo, dream pop, electro indie, Erik Bodin, Fredrik Källgren Wallin, Georgia, Gothenburg, Håkan Wirenstrand, Japan, Jazz, JVC Victor, Key Yemaya Walker, Keypsiia, Keypsiia Walker, Keypsiia Yemaya Walker, Little Dragon, Loma Vista, music, Music Mondays, North Carolina, Off The Wall, Peacefrog, percussion, Republic, Sacramento, Soul, Sweden, Synthpop, trip hop, UNC, UNC Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Vocals, Yukimi Eleanora Nagano, Yukimi Nagano, Yusuke Nagano

The manuscript Blue Lines is the fictional coming of age narrative of a young California woman Key Yemaya Walker, and her 2 year growing journey through school, love, and life period piece, written by Kenneth Suffern, Jr., taking place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill between the years of 1997 – 1998. Loosely based on true events, and experiences during that time, told through the eyes and voice of the main female protagonist, a freshman first attending the school.

Cover Sundays – Meshell Ndegeocello – “Sometimes It Snows In April” – Prince Cover

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1958, 1968, 1985, 1986, 2016, 2018, Alexander Nevermind, André Cymone, Atlanta, Atlanta Bliss, Berlin, Blue, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, Bobby Z., Brown Mark, California, Chanhassen, Chapel Hill, Christopher Tracy, Cover, Cover Album, Cover Song, Cover Songs, Cover Sundays, Covers, Dez Dickerson, Eric Leeds, Funk, Gayle Chapman, Georgia, Germany, Girl Bros., Greg Brooks, Hip-Hop, Hollywood, Jamie Starr, Jazz, Jerome Benton, Key Yemaya Walker, Keypsiia, Keypsiia Walker, Keypsiia Yemaya Walker, Lisa Coleman, Matt Fink, Matthew Blistan, Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur, Michelle Lynn Johnson, Miko Weaver, Minneapolis, Minnesota, musician, Naive, North Carolina, Paisley Park, Pennsylvania, Peters Township, Prince, Prince Rogers Nelson, Rapper, Reggae, Robert B. Rivkin, rock, Sacramento, Singer-songwriter, Sometimes it Snows in April, Soul, Sunset Sound, Susannah Melvoin, TAFKAP, The Artist, The artist formerly known as Prince, The Revolution, UNC, UNC Chapel Hill, Under the Cherry Moon, United States, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ventriloquism, Wally Safford, Warner Bros., Washington D.C., Wendy & Lisa, Wendy Melvoin, Ƭ̵̬̊

The manuscript Blue Lines is the fictional coming of age narrative of a young California woman Key Yemaya Walker, and her 2 year growing journey through school, love, and life period piece, written by Kenneth Suffern, Jr., taking place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill between the years of 1997 – 1998. Loosely based on true events, and experiences during that time, told through the eyes and voice of the main female protagonist, a freshman first attending the school.

New To You Music Sundays – RL Grime feat Daya – “I Wanna Know”

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1991, 1998, 2018, Artbeatz, Atlanta, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, Boston, California, Chapel Hill, Clockwork, Daya, Dim Mak Records, DJ, drum and bass, electro house, electronic, Fool's Gold, Georgia, Grace Martine Tandon, Henry Alfred Steinway, House, I Wanna Know, India, Interscope, Key Yemaya Walker, Keypsiia, Keypsiia Walker, Keypsiia Yemaya Walker, Los Angeles, Mad Decent, music, New To You Music Sundays, New To You Sundays, Northeastern University, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, pop, Producer, Punjab, Punjabi, Red, RL Grime, Sacramento, Singer, songwriter, Synthpop, trap, UNC, UNC Chapel Hill, United States, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, WeDidIt

The manuscript Blue Lines is the fictional coming of age narrative of a young California woman Key Yemaya Walker, and her 2 year growing journey through school, love, and life period piece, written by Kenneth Suffern, Jr., taking place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill between the years of 1997 – 1998. Loosely based on true events, and experiences during that time, told through the eyes and voice of the main female protagonist, a freshman first attending the school.

Music Mondays – Kanye West feat Chris Martin – “Homecoming”

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2008, Atlanta, Baby Dubb, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, California, Chicago, Chris Martin, Cloud Gate, Coldplay, Def Jam, Def Jam Recordings, Georgia, Graduation, Hip-Hop Music, Hip-Hop Quotable Wednesdays, Homecoming, Kanye Omari West, Kanye West, Key Yemaya Walker, Keypsiia, Keypsiia Walker, Keypsiia Yemaya Walker, Los Angeles, Lyrics, Millenium Park, music, Please, Roc-A-Fella, Roc-A-Fella Records, Sacramento, Smiley, The Bean, Warryn Campbell, Warryn Stafford Campbell II

The manuscript Blue Lines is the fictional coming of age narrative of a young California woman Key Yemaya Walker, and her 2 year growing journey through school, love, and life period piece, written by Kenneth Suffern, Jr., taking place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill between the years of 1997 – 1998. Loosely based on true events, and experiences during that time, told through the eyes and voice of the main female protagonist, a freshman first attending the school.