New 30 Day Song Challenge – Day 29 – Artist You Wish Were Still Alive – The Notorious B.I.G. – “Sky’s The Limit”

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Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, Brooklyn, C. Wallace, Christopher, Christopher George Latore Wallace, Christopher Wallace, college, Day 29, Grandfather, Key Yemaya Walker, Life After Death, music, MW, Myla, Myla Watson, Myla Wyndham, New 30 Day Song Challenge, New York, Sky's The Limit, The Notorious B.I.G., Tower Records

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 I Like – Joi – “Dirty Mind”

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Amoeba, Atlanta, Birthday, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, California, Dirty Mind, Flowers, Georgia, iPhone, iTunes, Joi, Joi Gilliam, Key Yemaya Walker, Music I Like, Myla Wyndham, Pal's Lounge, Sacramento, Shuffle, Tiffany

This fave song just came up in my iTunes playlist. A fave from back when I had the snippet on the Amoeba Cleansing Syndrome cassette sampler, and when I finally got the unreleased album (purchased from Joi at Pal’s Lounge). It was a song during the

Blue Lines

period, and helped with some writing, but nonetheless unbelievable talent too much of the world is missing out on.
It fits me naturally…plus I’ve even snuck and asked her for advice…lol.


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.

Blue Lines Blog – Album Review – Watch The Throne – Jay-Z and Kanye West

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Album Review, Angie Martinez, Atlanta, Bad Boy Records, Beyonce, Big Daddy Kane, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, Bridgeport, Connecticut, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Key Yemaya Walker, Lonnie Liston Smith, Marcy Projects, Myla Wyndham, New Jersey, New York, OutKast, Q-Tip, Ralph McDaniels, Sean Carter, Show & Prove, Shyheim, The Notorious B.I.G., Tracey Lee, Watch the Throne

It was a late fall day in Bridgeport, Connecticut listening to Angie Martinez on Hot 97 in New York. The days were short, and the sun began to set in the gritty northeastern city around 4 pm, just before the end of class, but making it very dark before dinner. Night I vaguely remembered from a childhood stint in New Jersey. At the time Wu-Tang still ran the local airwaves, along with Biggie and Bad Boy remixes. I infected the campus with the hometown sounds of Outkast, but this night, the light piano of Lonnie Liston Smith’s “A Garden of Piece,” wrapped this amazing opus from an unknown artist we had last seen on an appearance on Big Daddy Kane’s “Show & Prove.” Believe me I know, being a Wu-Tang fan from high school, I knew tracks they or affiliates, Shyheim, appeared on.

Again, I first heard the amazing “Dead President’s” which eventually accompanied the B-Side track, “Ain’t No,” closed out my tenure in school up north, as I thought I was listening to another underground regional artist the likes of Tracey Lee, Akinyele, etc. my homegirl waited, as I affected, sat and listened to the entire track, likely penning something as we most likely left her room, my hideout, before eventually landing at Famous Pizza.

Later, he would release an album, I heard that Biggie had appeared on the track, and my friend Myla Wyndham who was a buyer at Tower Records told me he was coming to the store. As a good friend and I attended, we walked past the empty table, scanned the album, laughed and then waving to her, I left, knowing I would see her during another visit. Little did I know.

Beginning school again in Atlanta, I befriended a pure Atlanta resident, who would play, “Reasonable Doubt,” nonstop. It was then that my appreciation grew for this unheralded artist. At this same school, I would meet the same girl that our conversation consisted of, the obvious as Reasonable Doubt played in her car as she dropped me off at Marta.
“Do you like Jay-Z?” I tried to break the ice.
“Yes,” she simply stated.

What I Learned Sundays (Monday) LATE – 7/10/11 x “Best Of You”

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Adidas Originals Lenox Square, Best Of You, Blue Lines, Foo Fighters, George Clinton, Goodie Mob, Joi, Joi Gilliam, Joss Stone, Key Yemaya Walker, Lenox Mall, Lucy Pearl, Myla Watson, Myla Wyndham, OutKast, Raphael Saadiq, Tower Records, What I Learned Sundays

“I hope you get everything you are looking for,” she said as we embraced and said “goodbye,” for the first and last time. Her embrace and heart was warm as I left my ride waiting so that I could walk her to the metro station. The Lower East Side, was so alive this night. Looking at this belleza, I hated that our night was ending prematurely…for many reasons, just not the right reasons.

Our eyes both full of melancholy, but for markedly different reasons. Earlier that evening we had met for the first time. Very cute, young, idealistic, still looking for something…someone. Us, no mutual connections, just very new friends…coupled with tertiary relationships.

So the night was very cool, dinner, laughs, karaoke (I sang different songs), and as it became quite apparent the direction that it was headed in, my friend and my “new” friends left to allow for a new friend today. Ending with “Californication,” we sat side by side (the most comfortable position for a woman, trust me I used to study this stuff), she mouthed the words of my song, as she had all night. Thus creating conflict in my heart.

For the sake of this story, it’s too easy for me to be “good,” especially when I know I should. Before my last HUGE decision, I knew that unless I was that man, I’d have to stand down…and though left sitting, karaoke-ing with this beautiful young woman, the realization came…

Earlier that night, the conversation progressed from photos of a young couple. The comment was made, “she has so much going for her, and he doesn’t.” Supported by, granted I was at dinner with 3 women, “when we’re young it’s all about romance, and we can change him, when we’re older, it’s about whether he’s on our level.”

So with that, we return to the “realization,” if you are looking for something, you barely know me, however you see something in me…I can’t spoil you, hurt you, or use you and tarnish your thoughts of men. I’d rather you wished it happen, but be smart enough to know that those few fleeting hours, that one hug are not enough to base a future on. So your melancholy eyes, saw this man walk away, likely for the first and last time, I walked away with melancholy eyes knowing, I wanted something temporary, something fleeting, but I would be wrong to do that with you.

“I hope you get everything you are looking for,” I in turn, truly hope that you get what you are looking for, without the hurt, the pain, and path that I took…I hope we meet Again, but we are lucky, we can still be friends. If I touched you, with nothing to offer, I would have left you in a place you didn’t deserve to be in…therefore I traded my immediate gratification, since my sordid heart lies elsewhere, for you romantic health…because your heart doesn’t lie HERE yet.

Now onto the original/edited composition of this week’s edition. The portion, influenced by Joi Gilliam.

I know that this is late. I had a ton of ideas for W.I.L.S. and it wasn’t until I read this post by one of my favorite artists, Joi Gilliam (her work, vocals on Outkast, Goodie Mob, Raphael Saadiq, Lucy Pearl, Joss Stone, George Clinton, etc.). She said:
Ladies like to be taken out on dates. I promise you, they do. Still. The real ones. The courting kind. 🙂 Dates are sweet. Thoughtful. Romantic. Healing. Sexy. And, they scream “I appreciate you so much that I took the time to plan a day we could enjoy together.” Take note, fellas. No matter the weather in your neck of the woods, take your lady on a date today. 🙂

To which I made my comment, and she replied.

@blue take ’em anyway. they REALLY need it. 😉

Why is this striking? Because YOU need to let me be him for you, or figure out why YOU won’t let me go, when I did so with YOU. So I thought what a great starting point for this week’s post, about the previous week. It also played into another thought that had been sitting in my mind this last week, but how did I tackle this idea…I slept on it. I guess I learned that when the body needs rest, it takes it.
Focusing back on the above post, I’ll admit, my thoughts last night better suited my writing this, however, as I sit in front of this screen right now, I feel that I play a public game, with something/one that I should be speaking directly to. And unfortunately as my life changes, so do opportunities, hopes and wishes of days, weeks, and months ago. So with that said…what I learned:

Hip-Hop Quotable Wednesdays – The Roots – “Silent Treatment”

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Blue Lines, Das EFX, Do You Want More?!!!??!, Key Yemaya Walker, Myla Wyndham, Philadelphia, Silent Treatment, The Bronx, The Roots, Tower Records

I remember stumbling across this song and The Roots when I saw this on Yo MTV Raps. I had heard on loved their track “Distortion To Static,” but I was shocked to hear something like this, and further shocked when I found out that their album “Do You Want More?!!!??!” was their second album.
I was later lucky enough to see them live and free at Tower Records around Lenox when my friend (God rest her soul) a buyer there scheduled their in store performance.
Enjoy!!!

Intro/Chorus: repeat 2X

Girl you know that you need
to stop givin’ me the silent.. treatment baby
Can’t you see what you mean to me?
I wanna love you constantly, but you keep neglecting me
And treating me silently,
Girl you know that you need
to stop givin’ me the silent.. treatment baby
Can’t you see what you mean to me?
I wanna love you constantly, but you keep neglecting me
And treating me silently,

Verse One: BlackThought

Yo, I had a Queen named Amina, height 5’7″
Caramel-complected, body like heaven,
Met her through the sister of my man Big Vince,
Like some s–t from out the flicks we been in love ever since,
She called me her chocolate brotha, I call her my sugar sista,
Knew Shorty could work it since before I ever kissed her,
I never dissed her, painted my picture to hit,
But because sex she wasn’t with, she started flippin an’ s—t,
Like, “Listen man, I’m Queen Amina, Amina’s not no freak and,
that game is weak and keep tryin to hit I could quit speakin,’
Tariq in fact, you bein BlackThought don’t get ya closer,
I dig ya but won’t bone ya because I’m so-called supposed ta,
Most o’ them would, but that couldn’t be me, that’s not my flava,
Go home and think about that, maybe later on I’ll page ya…”
I contemplated, and then concluded she was bluffin,
Steady pursuin’ screwin,’ getting’ nothin’ but the silent treatment