#09Memories...in pictures, music & words

January:  New Year's I was w/ 'Boocifer'.  We met up w/ his friends in U City, had drinks & left out to hit 'our spot'.  We rolled out to Lemon Hill, but it was crowded and there were cars everywhere.  We wanted some privacy but needed to be able to see the fireworks happening at Penn's Landing.  And we were literally rollin'...if you know what I mean.  So we hit the Plat, "...a place called the Plateau, that's where everybody go..."  Well that's "Summertime"...this was New Year's Eve.  And it was freezing! We sat in the truck and listened to Jimi Hendrix bring crazy, ecstatic life to 'Experience Hendrix' over & over.  We had a great view of the fireworks, it was a great night.  Magic.  *That* inspired *this*... listen to Jimi.  (R.I.P.)



February:  06 February 2009.  Robert Nesta Marley was born February 6, 1945 in the village of Nine Mile in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica.  The entire country of Jamaica celebrates Bob Marley Day every February 6th all over the island.  I had been to Jamaica before, but never to Nine Mile and never on Bob's birthday.  I made up my mind that my trip to Jamaica this year would be in February and it had to be with 'Boocifer'.  We arrived on the 5th and took a jeep safari to Nine Mile the following day.  We planned to spend the entire day @ the Marley compound (where Bob was born & buried) and hang out off-resort.  This was one of the most emotionally bonding experiences I've ever had in life.  It was a truly dope, truly deep and truly defining day for me.  I may re-post my Nine Mile blog for a more detailed description of the events & the encounters...it's sitting in 'edit' status being that some of what went down there is very personal and I'm not sure if I'm ready for all that out here on the innanets.  #imjussayin.  Know this:  Bob Lives.



March: Wow. This inspired "215's & Heartbreaks" (shout-out Regular Ass Ron, I promise Imma post it in the New Year...I'm almost ready, homie). I dumped 'Boocifer' after nine years of friendship, over three years of a relationship...it was the hardest and most disappointing thing I've ever had to do. So to call this a 'memory' would be an understatement. This 'memory' deserves it's own explanation, and it has one: 215's & Heartbreaks. I have had it sitting in here for months and every time I log in and glance at it, I read it, tweek it, read it again...I'm just not ready to share all that w/ the world yet. It's personal. It's private. Painful.  And I am not proud.  

I miss intimacy, but I love my space.
I love my anonymity, but I miss the familiarity...

I love the freedom I have experienced; 'single' opportunities that would not have been available had I been 'in a relationship' (lines *read* lines). But it's just not the same. I have to convince myself I'm better off, and that's not always easy, yet at the end of the day I know I made the best decision and I have no regrets.

"I gather up

each sound

you left behind

and stretch them

on our bed.

each nite

I breathe you

and become high."

poem #3 sonia sanchez 

My love jones.  That chapter of the book is finished now but w/ kind regard and great memories.  It was very real and very valid.  I have NO regrets.  

 

April:  Cali, New Mexico, Texas...I have such great people in my life.  Moni Beth is one of them.  Monika is from PA but moved out West over 10 years ago.  She is about 9 years older than me and a longtime family friend.  Monika was my gymnastics instructor when I was a young jawn.  She taught me and my sister, Hezz, how to walk the balance beam and do back flips.  She has modeled, worked for MTV, talked my ears off for hours countless times..she was really there for me through the break-up.  I hadn't seen her since she was in Philly when her Dad died a few years ago, so we made arrangements for me to fly out West; spend a week out there in the desert relaxing and getting my mind right.  Monika is no square, but she doesn't rasta either...if I was gonna be in Cali on 4/20, there was NO way I was NOT gonna get my rasta on while I was out there (she calls it my "Jamaican jumpoff", *smmfh*).  And jumpoff I did.  It was a beautiful, much needed, emotionally healing experience.  I have mad files of photos we snapped and a journal I kept while I was out there.  I'll post the photos for sure one day.  The journal may never reach another person's eyes ever.  That's probably what is best.  Sangria, Native American reservations, dead snakes, authentic Mexican spots, ladies only clubs, steam rollers & vaporizers...good times. 

THIS video dropped on 4/20, while I was out West.  I blogged about this group, this video...I cannot say enough about The Foreign Exchange.  If you don't know, #getfamiliar.  A dope dude from Philly by the name of Matt Koza directed this.  Some of my friends are in this video as well.  THIS album, Leave It All Behind, helped me through some rough shit.  They are now Grammy nominated.  Love you guys.  
 
I left the West Coast on 4/21, my little bro's birthday. I text Bud that morning while I was on my way to the airport to wish him a Happy Birthday.  He text me back to thank me and confirmed what I had known all along - Foxanne was pregnant and they were having a baby.  I was pissed I had to find out like that, especially when I had asked him not long before that if she was pregnant?!  Regardless, my little brother is now a daddy.  Life is moving so ef'n fast.   


May:  Tanya Morgan.  Wrote all about it HERE.  Good times.  #getfamiliar  


 


June:  06.06.09
The 2nd Annual Roots Picnic.  Epic.  It went down, I was there.  I went with three of my homies:  Anwar, Malik and Manetane.  WrittenHouse performed, PE, Santigold, The Black Keys...we were VERY close to the stage & Black Thought - *sigh* the lieutenant was definitely FRESH.  Finally had a face-to-face w/ the homie @Carolinaware *hugs* Mark.  Check his blog out HERE...he is so dope.  Ran into Al, Tanya Morgan's manager, and his peoples.  Pooh of Little Brother was in attendance.  Met Asher Roth (he was wearing a Celtics jersey, my squad!).  Kid Cudi flipped out on the crowd in one of the performance tents.  Amanda Diva was doin' her damn thing.  It was a great day for hip hop, art and good people.

The Roots' new album How I Got Over should be out in the new year.  It was set to drop in September '09, but it got pushed back.  You can keep up w/ all things Roots and read ?uestlove's blog over on #thatsite aka okayplayer.com  In the meantime, enjoy this: (props to www.onsmash.com, where I lifted the video from)


Also notable as a June #09Memory - the King, the Legend, the Idol, the Icon, the Superstar who was Michael Joseph Jackson died June 25, 2009.  

I sat at work and bawled my eyes out watching his funeral on CNN along w/ the rest of the world.  I will never forget listening to Motown and The Jackson 5 as a young jawn - my Mom used to blast MJ & his brothers every weekend when I was growing up.  I'll never forget watching the Thriller video for the 1st time w/ my sisters and my Uncle Steve being amazed and afraid all at the same time.  And then begging my Mom for the Thriller coat in the video, which I received and am still looking for the pictures of (my parents moved a few years ago and every time I bring it up my Mom breathes all hard at the thought of going into the attic or into storage to look for old photos).  I remember the 1st cassette I ever received was MJ's Thriller; playing it repeatedly & pausing it to write the lyrics down.  He sang and we all listened, loved even those that hurt him, danced and we all imitated and made his own private Heaven while he was here in Earth.  He was an inspiration to many and will be missed by all. 

The text portrait above was created by RALPH UELTZHOEFFER.  To read what the content of the portrait says, click HERE.  It's very interesting.  He's created these portraits for quite a few celebrities, most still living. 

Spike Lee directed this video, props once again to www.onsmash.com  This video is ill.
 

July:  24 July 2009.  EASILY one of the best nights of my life!  

remember THIS post?!  i. sat. front. row. center. at. a. roots. show. pt. I

and THIS follow-up?!   i.sat.front.row.center.at.a.roots.show pt II

THANK YOU Denaya and Shamara.  I will NEVER forget that night.  I have seen The Roots live 13 times and attended both picnics.  Everyone who knows me knows I am the biggest Roots 'Stan' EVER...this was the best show thus far.  Aside from the rowdy white boys who kept bumpin' me and spilling beer all over the place...I had thee best view and thee best seat ever.  Aside from being on stage?  But check out my prior posts for details, I've included the flics again.

#CMONSON - just LOOK at this man.  *sigh* 

R.I.P  Titus "Baatin" Glover (March 8, 1974–July 31, 2009)  There is a great write-up along w/ videos, photos and links HERE.  If you don't know who Baatin is, you need to step-up your music game.  Seriously.

August:  08.15.09  SUMMER ADRENALINE ISSUE LAUNCH PARTY

two.one.five™ Magazine

Check out the details HERE.  I did a write-up of the day on a previous post.  Here's some footage I got after the show of Kush clowning around.  Good times.


*Shout-out Princess Z...it's always a good time when you're around, Zarinah.  xo  All my hip hop heads check out her radio show every Sunday and her music HERE.  She's dope.

R.I.P.  Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein (March 30, 1973 – August 28, 2009)  There was a memorial fund established after his death on his website to help those struggling w/ addiction.  It was a passion and a cause that DJ AM dealt w/ personally and he was in the process of helping others at the time of his death.  You can learn more about that HERE. 

September:  09.12.09  WrittenHouse & MURS @ North Star w/ Ashley.  I heart this chick:  for her taste in music - she burned me ALL of the Wale mixtapes, her maturity, her BLOG, her advice and her good sense.  Good times.

I have blogged about WrittenHouse before, I know those of you who follow me on Twitter see me tweeting about them and to them...I cannot convey enough through words or photos how DOPE these dudes are.  Truly talented brothas doing something different.  If you have the opportunity to check out one of their shows live, DO SO.  Follow them on Twitter, become a fan on their Facebook page, download their mixtape Sunshine Philadelphia Vol 2: The WrittenHouse Effect HERE, #getfamiliar.

The hype man, Sleeves, was absent and missed during the show, but Dame did his best to fill-in.  Here's a dope interview/vid the homies did w/ this chick Krissy Carlson (formerly known as Cosmik Krissy) out of Providence, R.I.  This was filmed outside of The North Star Bar in North Philly.

*Shout-out DJ Ambush, who calls me 'Double T'.  He DJ'ed their set that night @ North Star.  I got a lot of love for that dude right there.  He's involved in a lot of hip hop projects around the City other than DJ'ing.  Check out his Living Proof Radio show w/ the dude MARS every Thursday from 10pm-12am HERE and *FOLLOW* him on Twitter.  xo Beezy. 

October:  10.23.09  New York City w/ Ashley.


We had a helluva ordeal getting from Philly to NYC....and getting home.  The rain.  The hotel in Yonkas (EF YOU, Chaundon!).  The cabs and the trains.  I forgot my belt (ANY belt!) back in Philly and had to wear a dress that requires a belt w/out one!  It was NOT funny @ the time, but it's funny now looking back.  While we were there, we had a BALL.  We watched the entire show front row, I snapped some flics and after the set we hung out w/ the crew.

It was great seeing Aimee, Phonte and Nicolay again.  Muhsinah was not at the performance, but everyone else was:  Zo!, Yahzarah, Carlitta, Darien Brockington, Dho, the band...even Joe Scudda, Pooh & Chaundon came out and did some LB stuff from the archives.  I got a few of the performances on tape uploaded to my YouTube page, you can check that out HERE. 

I've blogged before about their Grammy nod; I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they win and get the recognition they deserve.  SUPPORT great music and talented musicians.  The members of The Foreign Exchange have an extended family w/ solo projects and other releases.  Check my blog for those as well. 


November:  28 November 2009.  10:14pm.  My brother's son, Jackson Thomas, was born.  Clearly the BEST day of 2009.  He's healthy, he's adorable, he's perfect.  I am in LOVE.  And I call him "Jax".

December:  16 December 2009.  Heineken Green Room Party. 

I met Tariq Trotter, aka Black Thought, of the l.e.g.e.n.d.a.r.y. ROOTS Crew !!! 

Do you want more?!!!??!  If so, check out the flics and the blog HERE.  Of course, it was written.

Shout-out Vickie...the lieutenant IS fresh, indeed.  Thank you for sharing my joy w/ me, LOL.  She is a dope photog and you can check her stuff out HERE.    


I also need to shout-out my girl, @FreedomReeves.  She is one of the most beautiful people (inside AND out) I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and honor of getting to know.  We went to the party together, and she is my WITNESS I did not act a fool or show my ass.  I love that woman, check out her site.  Good times.

THIS is just my favorite Roots song EVER...

 

*EDITED b/c I SHOULD have included this prior to posting BUT...there are MANY people - both old & new friends I have had the pleasure of meeting, hanging out w/, learning from, buggin' out w/ - who encourage me to keep writing & keep sharing my thoughts and my experiences w/ y'all.  There are too many to name them all, but I'd like to name one more who is consistent and ever present on my back and in my head pushing me to post my blogs...xo Sherm.  You're the best, bew.  As long as you keep reading, I'll keep writing.