I want to start off by expressing much gratitude to Thorough Lee for valuing my opinion and sharing his talents. As the first featured artist on my blog, I wanted to share these two; yes two albums with Hip Hop connoisseurs & people that feel that something is missing from the Hip Hop world, as well as our own personal worlds.   This music speaks to everyone so please listen whole heartedly.  Here’s a peek of the man behind the music and the inspiration behind the music.  Enjoy!

Part One-“Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child

I want to begin with the man behind the music. Of course you are a Norfolk native :) how long have u been on this musical journey? At what point in your life did you come to the realization that you were a messenger of the truth by way of music, lyrics & love? Wow, ok, great question. Honestly, it had to be when I was in the 2nd grade, around '87 or so. This dude named Emery used to make my oldest sister (Kim) mixed tapes like every two weeks and in addition he would give her records. I remember she had the Eric B. and Rakim, "Paid in Full", Run-DMC, "Peter Piper" to name a couple. I learned every word. I scratched those records to hades trying to be a dj. Around the same time I discovered that I could draw, I would take the comics out of the newspapers and draw all the Garfield joints. That's when I really started studying different types of art. I knew I wanted to tell a story of some sort. I'm a very visual person but I knew drawing wasn't it. I soon realized I wanted to make people see my words and my sound. When I hit the 3rd grade it was confirmed. I started raiding my parent’s record collection, I was addicted. 3rd grade was also the start of my actual attempts to write poetry/rap. I met another kid named Terrence Palmer, and it was a done D'.

" ...Two different elements w/ the albums, I wanted to snatch collars on Peace Be Still...then sit em down n talk to em on Spare the Rod.."

Please elaborate on the elements & themes with both albums & what you mean by "snatch collars" & "sit down and talk to em"? What emotions did u want to stir up from your audience? What’s your target audience? Well w/ Peace be still...I was really frustrated w/ black people to be honest! The choices we make, the trends we follow, the treasures we choose. We seem like the most gullible race of people on the planet at times in my opinion. Then the frustration kind of spread to all mankind kind. I would think to myself, "Man, humans are the dumbest people in the world" Lol! But for real. So I guess I kind of take a single parent approach. I'm a single father musically speaking. I get in your face when I need to, read you your rights in a stern manner. Then tell you why and let you know I only beat you because I love you so much. It hurts me more than it hurts you type of thing! Lol! Spare the Rod...is like, look, listen, if I didn't love you I wouldn't have got in your face on Peace be still... like that. How can we say we love someone if we don't offer correction in a flawed situation? And anytime correction is offered, it's to me first. My message is always to me first. And yes, the emotions I wanted to stir up were emotions of anger, emotions leading to people questioning themselves like what I'm I doing? I wanted people to say you know what, I don't have to follow every trend that comes out every week leading me and my family to the poor house, I don't have to like this "artist" because they play him/her 100x a day on the radio or because the vast majority has accepted this person. I don't have to sleep w/ every person under the soon to feel loved or affection, I don't have to let my flesh rule me. Does the car drive the person or does the person drive the car. The spirit is on the inside of the flesh (person), just like the person is on the inside of the car. So it's what's inside that should be the driving force. I can be me, but wait, who am I, what's inside of me? That’s what I wanted the people to think and wonder. And my target audience is the lost and found. Anyone w/ an ear to hear.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/spare-the-rod-spoil-the-child/id546587988