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.

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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

Hip-Hop Quotable Wednesdays – Outkast – Aquemeni

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1998, A Tribe Called Quest, André "André 3000" Benjamin, Andre 3000, Andre Benjamin, Andre Patton, Antonio M. Reid, Aquarius, Aquemini, Around Lenox, Atlanta, Babyface, Big Boi, Black Star, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, Brand Nubian, Busta Rhymes, David "Mr. DJ" Sheats, Donny Mathis, Drug Addiction, Dungeon Family, emancipation, Gemini, George Clinton, Goodie Mob, Gwen Stefani, Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop Quotable, Hip-Hop Quotable Wednesdays, Janelle Monae, Jay-Z, Key Yemaya Walker, Killer Mike, Mos Def, Mr. DJ, music, neo soul, Organized Noize, OutKast, Raekwon, Sleepy Brown, Talib Kweli, The Foundation, The Love Movement, TLC, Tower Records, Vol 2: Hard Knock Life

Aquemini…I remember the night we went to Tower Records at Around Lenox for the midnight sale. Called by some, Hip-Hop’s greatest release date Jay-Z’s Vol 2: Hard Knock Life, A Tribe Called Quests The Love Movement, Brand Nubian’s The Foundation, and Mos Def & Talib Kweli’ Black Star were also released that night.

I miss Tower Records.

[Hook]
Even the sun goes down heroes eventually die.
Horoscopes often lie and sometimes “y”
nothin’ is for sure nothin’ is for certain nothin’ lasts forever
But until they close the curtain
it’s him & I Aquemini

[Big Boi]
Now is the time to get on like Spike Lee said
get on the bus go get your work
and keep your beeper chirpin’ is a must
Is you on that dust or cornstarch
familiar with that smack man
The music is like that green stuff

Blue Lines Blog – When We were Babies

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Air Jordan 12, Arizona, Atlanta Braves, Bad Boy, Bennigan's, Black & Milds, California, Club Kaya, DJ Clue, DMX, Earwax Records, El Paso, Famous Pizza, Fargo, Foamposite, Freaknic, FSU, Future Flavors, Golden Gate Bridge, Hot 97, Key Arena, Klassic Klymaxx, Los Angeles, Metro North, Minneapolis, Mortal Konbat, Motown Cafe, New York, NYU, OutKast, Presidio, Ralph McDaniels, Red Dragon, Ruff Jeans, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Francisco, Seattle, Silver Lake, Spokane, Street Fighter 2, Tallahassee, Texas, The Roots, The Source, Time Square, Tower Records, Trumbull Mall, UC Berkeley, UCLA, University Of Bridgeport, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Vibe Magazine, Virgin MegaStore, Walnut Creek, X-Men

Babies…When WE Were Babies

I really can’t wrap my head around this last week.
ba•by (bey-bee)
n.
1. an infant or very young child.
2. a newborn or very young animal.
3. the youngest member of a family, group, etc.
4. an immature or childish person.
5. a human fetus.
6. Informal .

Blue Lines Blog – Issue #2.1

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Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, California, Common, Cuban, Death, Grandfather, Hip-Hop, Jay-Z, Kenneth A Suffern Jr, Key Yemaya Walker, MW, Myla, Myla Watson, Myla Windham, New York, psychology, Queens, Rene Sotolongo, Sacramento, School, Tower Records, UNC Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Origins of Blue Lines manuscript…Part 1

                Let’s say that somewhere around 1996 I wanted to write a manuscript, book, whatever.  It was more of a focus on what was one of my loves at the time, Hip-Hop, therefore the plan was to tell the story of an aspiring MC and the girl that he meets along his way as a struggling artist.  Other than the concept, there was no plan for the story, no outline, development, or clear cut path for this to go.  It simply consisted of its Hip-Hop background, and somehow creating a story that at the end of the day was a parallel using live characters to illustrate that “love.”  I guess for those who listen, Common’s “I Used to Love H.E.R.” would be the best musical description of what my initial aim was. 

So it begins…

With that said, the initial 5 page story followed the story of an unnamed male protagonist, and pieces of him meeting a female antagonist simply names “L.”  Now, if you will indulge me, again we are looking at 1996-ish, Lauryn Hill was being promoted at the “IT” woman in Hip-Hop.  Rather than initially using her name, I simply shortened it to “L” until I could actually name the character.  Character names were pretty bad, her friend was listed as (homegirl) , and his friend was “Mello Smoothe” a self moniker that a friend gave himself around the time that Maxwell came on the music scene.  This initial version grew from one page, to two pages of scatter story development, and stalled out at 5 pages that gave a clear development of the opening, middle and an outline of an ending, the only problem is that it stalled out there.  And the dream to write a manuscript was stalled by an aspiring writer who had no inspiration.