Written by L. Smith & B. Blakes, haaanh

A seed originally planted in 2009 [ the 25th second of the 10th minute of THIS ] grew into this hook delivered by B.L.A.X.Smith. I’m pretty sure my wife was out of town when Sade dropped her first single in a decade or so, Soldier of Love.

When Soldier of Love dropped, I immediately started dreaming of lyrics and rushing to where I knew someone could record them. I wanted to remix that song Wes Sanders style by morning. [ And Tif had to have been out of town, because in my verse I blatantly mentioned the life-changing late night West Texas blizzard we'd recently driven through in a Celica. ]

When I got to the Treehouse, aka Burro Magic’s crib, he and Smith didn’t look at me crazy. They were up, and they asked if they could record on it too. I said yes. But I finished mine that night, and had a good enough version to show for it by morning. Burro went to town on the arrangement. On short notice, no less (dap).

I didn’t do much with it besides put it on a podcast I did at Matt’s house shortly after that, and randomly email it to FWMJ and V-Zilla. Because.

Smith never let go of that one line from the Soldier of Love Fleaux — that one bar, those four counts, 11 words “and if you know you’re blessed / then what’s better to be”.

So eventually I sent him a beat and challenged him to make a hook out of it. This challenge came about a year after that late night session, by the time I was settling into Long Beach life, running 10K’s for breakfast and putting together what would become the 2012 SANCT EP produced entirely by Reggie Coby. Which, by the way, is coming out in ohhh… 10 weeks!

[ the hook in this video did not exactly make it ]

BETTER 2 BE

[chorus] sometimes we open our eyes and can’t see / the feeling of our heart, inside, with no beat / open up a window outside, with no breeze / and if you know you’re blessed, then what’s better to be
open up a window outside, with no breeze / the feeling of a heart, inside, with no beat / sometimes we open our eyes and can’t see / and if you know you’re blessed, then what’s better to be, haaannh…

if you know you’ve got it then what’s better to give / get ahead on your biz, how’s better than if / gotta pass down what we put together to kids / we investing in them, they need better to live / and we got all we need, so all excuses aside it takes a man to provide / who’s ready to ride instead of playing pinnochio being nosy and wishing / sometimes we open our eyes with no vision / condeming ourselves, feeling depressed / even if you don’t feel it yourself, really you’re blessed / it’s like we say we’re alive but can’t breathe / believing lies between the lines but can’t read / sometimes we’re hearing the message but can’t do / complaining as if the solution ain’t you / think of eternity, spending it beautifully / and if you’re blessed then what’s better for you to be

[chorus]

[B.L.A.X.Smith] now, i’ve been traveling here for a few years / i can cut the tension with a few shears / had a couple rainy days forecast clear / potholes in the road, it’s over now, last year / they say I’m getting too old, they’re counting class years / not to mention what i’ve done these few past years / pay attention, listen, learn to what you have here / negative energy’s an enemy like a bad peer / so, why you knock it, judging me by what’s in my pocket / you tried to hock it, instead of sticking to the knowledge / this ain’t the kind of information that you get from college / this is the art of salvation from when you’re paying homage / i’m on the right road, i got a light load / getting heavy in the chevy, climbing heights though / i’m still in fight mode, until it’s time to go / control your own and be careful for what you’re fighting for.

Church of the Living Body in effect (dap)

My son got to visit with most of his grandparents. I got to eat my parents’ food, and also steal away to Austin for 40-something hours. I ate Love Veggies at Magnolia Cafe, and some Kim Phung. I got to visit with Matt Sonzala on the eve of his birthday. And above all, I got to fellowship with lotsa folks at the All Rise Event on Sunday night. Check this out…

Matt Recapped It Here with nice photos, after first discussing his family trip.

Rochelle Terrell, believer

And here’s a video recap by HotBox254

And here’s a video recap and MLK tribute by Boycott Mag

BIG Bright Future

And, finally, here is photo coverage by Austin360.

Peace.

ALL RISE, as recommended by Austin360 (dap) this Sunday 1/15/12.

[ photo by ricardo braziell ]

For the Nobody Who Knows, we’ll be live with the Extra Plairs, led by D-Madness, shooting videos and such.

Sivion’s 2006 Spring of the Songbird LP gets lots of play to this very day at BavuBlogs headquarters, and even in our Accord and Camry. It’s that banging soulful Hip Hop style popularized by groups like Slum Village, Common and Strange Fruit Project.

Sivion, who studied architecture at the University of Miami, has personalized the genre through his presence on the Dallas underground scene by adding two unique elements — his saxophone skills and his embrace of the Christian gospel. But he’s not the guy who only raps at churches, more like a man of the people.

I did a show with him around 2005 at the Gypsy Tea Room in Dallas, and have kept up with his music ever since. And even though I have three Sivion CD’s and a cassette of he and his twin brother’s old group, Phat Kats, something about the Spring of the Songbird LP stuck to my ribs.

This album has endured, and there’s always been something special about the song So Perfect produced by the ARE. I was playing it as I typed this, and my wife said “what song is that again? I like that one.”


[ click the words "So Perfect" above to read the lyrics ]

B: I love the track, and I definitely understand the “seven ways to love you” concept based on the seven-bar musical sequence. With that said, what are you addressing in the hook?

S: Actually the song’s about being perfect in Christ. Seven is the number of completion, due to the seven days of creation. So, “you think you’re so perfect, so complete? Well I have seven ways to love you.” There’s a “perfect” and “complete” that’s better than what we think fits those categories in our daily lives. I’m striving for God’s level of perfection, which to man would look like flawed imperfect organic produce! [laughter]

The seven-bar loop on the track inspired the whole thing. When I finally counted the bars I was like HOW SICK IS THAT?!?! Praise Him…..all day! [smiles]

B: So the chorus speaks directly to anyone who’s listening to the song?

S: It could be for those listening, or it could be directed at people who think they have all the answers in and of themselves. The idea is that no matter where you are in life, God’s grace creates a perfection greater than what you think you already have. That’s really all. No deep hidden meanings. Just simple faith in who’s really runnin’ thangs! Haha…

B: Makes sense, and perhaps listening to it in rap song form makes it seem a bit deeper. So are the “seven ways to love you” anything specific, or just a poetic way of saying “God’s perfect love”?

S: I think we as humans try to make things out to be deeper or more complex than they really are [d'oh!]. The “seven ways to love you” are just as you said, a metaphor for God’s perfect unwavering love for us. God speaks in simple truths and as I get older I’m trying to equally simplify my life and the way I communicate with others. Easier said than done, though.

B: Easier said than done, but worth the effort. This is one of my favorite beats by The ARE but i always felt like the cymbal crashes sound weak in the mix for some reason.

S: Well, I think the cymbal crashes are part of the sample, so there wasn’t much that could be done to bring them out. But all in all, I agree, this beat is really fresh. I fell in love with it immediately. The ARE really came with it on both tracks he did. This one and The Spring Show.

B: So glad you mentioned that, because the Spring Show intro is a great burst of energy that sets a proper expectation for the rest of the project. On the new Butterfly Sessions project, did you intentionally duplicate that energy on Here We Go?

S: Haha. That must have been God’s doing. Here We Go just sounds like a “jump-off” joint. So I put it first. Dert’s a beast on the boards, so I tried to go beastly on the raps, which isn’t my normal steez [style]. I remember the reviews when the single dropped. Cats were like, “Sivion’s attacking’ the mic like he’s been dying to spit that verse for years!”. [loud laughter]

B: Those two are parallel to me, in a really good way. So don’t let us down on your next project!

Changing topics a bit, what comes to mind when you hear/read the four words, 12 letters HipHopGrewUp?

S: I won’t let you down on the next project, because The ARE’s setting that one off too. Word up.

But in regards to the phrase, HipHopGrewUp — to me that means Hip Hop matured a bit, in content and age. All of the cats that were old enough to enjoy Hip Hop’s golden era from about ’91-’96 are getting old now. Hip Hop will never be the same now that the almighty dollar has taken the place once occupied by the heart. Hip Hop used to be considered a fad that would pass, and one that would only apply to the youth. But that’s not the case. As those golden era peeps grow older, they’re taking that good music with them. And it’s a beautiful thing.

B: That answer was So Perfect. Thanks for your time, and we’ll catch up later (dap)

Welp, thanks to the lady who brought Paul Wall all the way back to his 2004 People’s Champ form in 2011…

[ image jacked from rap-up.com ]

Courtesy of the same lady that wrote the hook that Erykah Badu re-sang with the Roots to win a y2K Grammy… We present to you, via her old label…

…the remake (dap)

[ found on soulbounce ]

first 200 downloads free ^ (dap)

[ God-willing, you'll hear this song on Friday ]

set it off with a blessing in the message i’m like
everyday’s a holiday in the present time right
wrote a song about love no valentine
walk into the light no caroline
we rejoice when we sing no caroling
nevertheless note carrying yes
put my stamp on it when i express
first class neither second nor next best
first off i appreciate and give thanks
for my breath every morning knowin it stanks
blow it out keep it movin no stiff planks
still waters run deep except fishtanks
raps for the noonday and the midnight
check out my forecast that’s right big bright
hold steady no fluctuating now just you wait and see 

i’ve got a big bright future ahead of me

it’s a blessing in the message and it’s two-fold
for the young folks but ya never too old
life’s too short how you gon spend it
what’s the difference between livin a second and a minute
what you gon do why you still talkin then
plenty open doors why you aint walkin in
put ya grind over glory faith over fear
so i can see you bout to shine way over here
i remember just tryna make it thru the day
now i got enough to look forward to for the year
haters and doubters i don’t worry bout ‘em
they can’t e-much do me naadaa hakunamataataa
i’d much rather walk straight than sit
it’s enough to make ya trip cause it takes a bit but i know
the outcome of this relationship is so big time brighter than the vegas strip

i’ve got a big bright future ahead of me.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 8,300 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 3 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.