The Carry
Current mood: chill
Category: Life

Sometimes I'm on it. It's the city man it has had an incredible amount of influence on my outlook on life. In particular, when i feel slighted. No matter how much inner peace sought or states of nirvana, zen, bliss, filling of Holy Spirit, oneness with God and godself. When i feel slighted my switch clicks and i lose a portion of my rationale. In DC we call that instance of being slighted as a "carry". It's a verb and not a good one. to be "carried" is damn near a cardinal sin and the origin of many a beef. Actually the perception of the "carry" is what usually causes the most reaction rather than the infraction itself.  As the years have passed i have worked out a system to try and lessen the effects of the feelings that well up when a "carry" is perceived. Usually i call ,what they refer to in legal cases as a "reasonable person" who, without prejudice and in full control can offer up an unbiased opinion based on the facts. that's the usual course of action, but this time i didn't have that individual on hand, within earshot or avavilable via cell to walk me through a "carry". I'm curious if this is a phenom in other areas of the country and what do you call it?  

2:08 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Chatty Kathy
Current mood: chipper
Category: Music

Note to Tom and Myspace...y'all need Tags.(that's a freebie) I mean how often do you need to select more than one heading when writing a blog? i mena this can be about music movies life family travel...i could just tag the jont and be done..but alas, technology has never made life simpler, just offers more options.
On to more pressing matters. Sunday at Afro-punk was nanbans bananas, ape secretions from the rectal area. i had a good time. my folks came out, though we had an early time slot(2:20pm) we still got it in. I mean folks were impressed. This was the first time the rock/electro/funk/rock sh*t had been presented so i was mad happy. peep the caesarz (myspace.com/thecaesarz) afro punk should have some video up soon and we taped it for youtube access.. should be up soon as well. man it felt really good to stretch out and do the other stuff that i love to do.  almost finished the not so secret -secret squirrel new collabo material that will be on some other next. 


I've been going through seasoned emcee introspection to determine whether or not i should hang up the 58 and concentrate my efforts elsewhere, that's been the pending issue- relevance. in the age of calling somebody wack who really is wack, gets translated as hating, i felt all square peggish. i mean for real some of these cats are ass crack for real. no lyrics , bandwagon ass bammas, young.. i mean no cipher skills, where the lyrics at type sh*t so you can feel a little jaded and aged.  But that takes me to the sad state of hip hop. wherein, depending on how old you are you are urged to retire? i mean for real ? should the Rolling Stones have retired at 38? or sting? or Prince or James brown , i mean now don't get me twisted some of the aforementioned need to check their outfits at the door cuz damn son you ain't 20 no more (see Angela Winbush on the Tom Joyner TV show...ewwwww white spandex ....my gawd) but that doesn't mean you're done.. peep the R or Mr. Big aka Ron isley . i mean Jay and Nas got some time on their side and they are still at this moment (though subject challenged) the dopest in the game. so why urge them to retire, hip hop is the only genre that practices age discrimination..my thought is how long could the records sell if the companies still pushed their music? which would give birth to more catalogue and ultimately more money and power for the musicians in question. I mean the Stones got dough as do sting, fleetwood mac, etc. they have catalogue and own a large portion of it. now look at the predominate makeup of said genre (hip hop) and draw your own conclusion. rock artists are allowed to grow with their age, but hip hop is menudo-ed or disney'd out meaning once you get a certain age you can no longer be, there.. so what happens to the lost demographic of kids that age with the artists, they are left to feel as if they have to choose to be young or relisten ad infinitum to the hits of their youth. not fair. I hate having to choose and for the record i like Froggy (aka lil Wayne aka syrup sipper aka i hope this cat don't die afore 30 cuz who needs that) but i wonder if he is feeling the same way about his age and so he is subliminally and purposely trying to kill himself before he hits the bricks as the "old man" because you can't be lil' forever ... ask bow weezy.


don't forget to vote for me at urb.com/next 1000 and register to vote in the upcoming election.

K

Currently listening : Oracular Spectacular By MGMT Release date: 2008-01-22

6:10 AM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Updated
Category: Music

7:08 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

ARTSCAPE
Current mood: excited
Category: Music

Aww damn , it's that time again, time to vote for me for some contest somewhere. i know i've asked for your support at URB.com (to the chagrin of some due to their 1769 layered polling process..theirs actually worked better than the DIEBOLD jawns in Ohio and Florida. Then i asked for you to hep me by voting for me at XM radio for artist of the month. well here is another. It's for artscape , to perform on the Saturn stage. I'm, the only hip hop act on the ballot that made it to the finals. You can vote as often as much as you want all day if you want..depending on how well you can manipulate that mouse..ya herd!! SO go here http://www.artscape.org/index.cfm and vote for me. Unless Rev. Wright undermines my campaign by talking too kyot damn much , then i should be aiight.!!!

My name is Kokayi and I approve this message.

and give up the F N Kudos.

8:44 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

the Caesarz
Current mood: relaxed
Category: Music

Free 99. that's what they call it. I'm making new shit all the time and i get tired of hoarding. Not hoarding cats and things of that nature i hord music. I create tons and then let it bubble awaiting some unknown moment. Well i'm deciding that those days are done. i'll more than likely upload a number of "records" here or on FB and elsewhere just to let this shi&&&loose... no imodium. so here we go. the pilot program is the re-"release" of the Caesarz. if you got one then i handed it to you personally and more than likely extremely cheaply or freely.. too many ly's in that last bout. so herte is the link. art and tracklistings included. the only caveat i add is that you write me and let me know what you thought about it.. just so i know. you can visit the caesarz page here: www.myspace.com/theceasarz and download the record here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/fl7gh1.

one

K

9:59 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Eddie Black black
Current mood: bouncy
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

This is a message from my folks out LA doing this internet tv jont. I'm scoring some portions of the shows and i did the theme on it. so peep the next episode..whhhurr we whurrrrrnt..
K

The second episode of BEING eddie BLACK is up on www.BEINGeddieBLACK.com.  We want to send a thank you to everyone who voted and showed support.  In the upcoming weeks, there will be periodic updates to the site so keep visiting and fully enjoy the Eddie Black experience.  Feel free to voice comments, questions, concerns to info@beingeddieblack.com.

Once again, vote to help Eddie.  If you don't, Eddie won't know which way to go.

Peace, and remember HELP eddie!!!

3:18 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Reveiw from popcesspool.net
Current mood: weird
Category: Music

In the midst of filling out my 08 RBMA app. I found this...peep the review from popcesspool.net.  As suggested, i’ll gather all the lyrics and post them here with history and all. if you have the cd write a review on itunes and cdbaby for me. the grind continues.
K

March 26, 2008

WEDNESDAY’S REVIEW: KOKAYI

Kokayi "Mass Instructions" (Pho13Music/CDBaby)

Although D.C.’s hip-hop intelligentsia might be loath to admit it, this town is still a backwater when it comes to the straight-up beats/rhymes/life thing. Yeah, the clacka-clacka heartbeat of go-go never stops, and only God knows whether Wale’s commercial comet-tail is long enough to pull a few of the local traditionalists with him. But the Capital’s long-toiling four-pillar guys -- the thoughtful, history-indebted mic-men like Kokayi -- have never had much of a national profile, despite a decade or more of creative spurts and outside-the-Beltway opportunities. Kokayi himself (aka Carl Walker) has lots of those exploits on his resume, including time with a globetrotting band (Opus Akoben) and a jazz patron (Steve Coleman). It’s a Roots-ish career, but without the mass-market exposure to a generation of hippie kids. Maybe things happen for a reason.

Anyway, here’s why Kokayi might still have his best hip-hop days ahead of him: Mass Instructions, his latest, does all the things that a great ’90s album would do, but the Southwest-born rapper/producer doesn’t prostrate himself at the altar of Premier and Pete Rock. He merely mimics their efficiency, cramming a series of expressive hooks into a 12-song, 45-minute package. He’s best when he drenches his rhymes in Carribbean-inflected melody and buttresses his beats with throwback instrumentation: The horn riff on the blissfully cocky "Knowus Mayne" sounds like a deft Herb Alpert sample, but for all I know, Kokayi could’ve concoted it totally on his Roland Fantom X6; ditto for the major-key cello/viola/whateva snippets that grace the guns-and-butter jam "Babylon (Hey Nah)" and the oddly majestic father-figure drama "SunSon(Dun)." All three of those tracks delve into some level of politics -- from the family to the community, onward and upward -- and their overt sonics are the equivalent of a defiant finger stabbing the air. It’s downright inspiring at times. Likewise, "Stress!!" and "God In You" have moments of memorable clarity, too. (A humble suggestion to the rapper: A lyrics sheet would be nice.)

The Roots comparison -- if applied only as a metric for Kokayi’s long-term prospects -- is more appropriate for the less-overt tracks, including "DCB," "Life," "Arg You!" and "Gamesteady," all of which lean heavily toward contemporary R&B or downtempo sounds. He’s definitely got the touch: Even when his hooks are subtle, they show his urge to be impeccably current. (On the abstract end of things, "Love Ya Babe" almost verges on Radiohead’s territory.) For now, Kokayi’s biggest hit, in any form, is "Midnight Rendezvous," the house-flavored single by Bowie, Md., singer Wayna, which is kicking around on a Billboard chart or two. Methinks the mighty ?uestlove -- as a hip-hop grownup with a few creative detours from his Roots resume -- would approve.

Mass Instructions is available from CDBaby and on iTunes.

6:50 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

SXSW-the recap.
Current mood: weird
Category: Music

The Austin SXSW excursion is complete.  Awash with whisky sours, Fogo de Chao, SOCO –n-tea, parties and new bands., I’m good. Follow that up with a 5am drive to San Antonio, factor in TSA and 9:30 club gig with Wale and SPP, back in DC with a 4pm load-in… I have to say that my cup ranneth and I’m burnt, crunchy, teepy..I’m having troubles, no leaning on the space bar and drenching the screen with black dots you see when the show/hide is on.

We landed Thursday after being picked up at 2:Am by the bluevanfolks.. they really need a time limit on how long they wait for the slow ass non awake people that didn’t take into consideration that (A) there are actually other people waiting on their slow ass, and (B) some of us actually stayed up until the van arrived so as not to miss their flight..so hustle your dumb ass on..2AM drama. We checked into a non-roachy called the Spring Hill Suites (reminded me of Spring heeled Jack by SK). Did the 3 S’s changed clothes on em and dipped for the festivities..

The free Noisettes show at the convention center started the day off swell for some of us that will(seshat) remain nameless.  I, Jack and coked my body to Bridge to Canada and had a helluva good time, save the worry about traffic tickies and the sort, we hit up Foundation Media’s meet and greet, Double J gets a huge shout for the lasso of drink tickets he handed me upon entry. Everybody was there and the networking opportunities were numerous. We then headed back to the Fader Fort where the lined formed in Danteesque proportions, snaking up the block, all in wait for N.E.R.D. I couldn’t do it, so we dipped around the corner, only to see Pharell on the street, chilling.. I should have asked to play keys and walked in with the entourage..but I’m no get with..we headed to the Bloom Effect’s celebration of Soul and yapped with my homey the other Purple one..Ms. Saint-James aka Yazarah.. dope show..for sure.

Friday and Saturday were just as crazy . The homey Kev Brown at the UGHH jawn, chopped it up with Fat Jew from Team Facelift at the Grammy party, we headed to the Texas Garage that featured with Santogold (with Diplo), Spankrock, Flosstradamus and all the party people you c/would ever want to hang with( whaddup Dave, whaddup Titts), complete with an ice cream truck doling out your childhood faves and complimentary iheartcomix cd’s..yessir. Saturday was David Banner, Lykke Li, the cats from Vegas and many more at the Fader Fort.. Read this slowly...."Lykke Li is the stone muhfuggin troof"..do not sleep..she’s dooooope. Mr. Banner  turned green and hulked out on em, with Manny Fresh on the Dj spot and a 3 piece band, he was unstoppable and had some things to vent about, we caught Talib at the park, dipped to the Sound Exchange/URb party at Stubbs (Sean G on the look out..thanks mayne), saw B.o.B get wild and Wale do his thing..but the down low show stoppers were Creature (myspace.com/creaturecreature) from Montreal that shut s%$t down, they had the top balcony on the inside going ape and the floor folks on mash. Watch out for em..they’re wikked. We broke before the GZA hit the stage, for our 8am out of San Antonio.. all in all, I vouch for SXSW for sure for the links and random sightings…I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our seeing Perry Farrell and Bushwick Bill, both random as hell walking down Congress within a few blocks of one another and Rage/AudioSlave’s Tom Morello and Light Speed Champion posted up on 6^th, just chilling.. My folks Rob Vic and Dibbs caught a flick with Fab 5 Freddy!!!!..can you say dammn son. All in all, good fun and I’m back for it, next cycle.

By the way my name is kokayi and I approve this message..

also don’t forget to keep voting at proghiphop.com for me for Artist of the Month.

Currently listening : Black Byrd By Donald Byrd Release date: 14 July, 1992

8:59 AM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Mass Instructions French release..
Current mood: tired
Category: MySpace

No, i didn’t license the record for French porn jonts. It comes out (snicker)... it is arriving in stores on the 12th of May throughout all of France.  So all my french folks, please go purchase this. The artwork was redone...big up to justlikevibes. Lykke Li is the truth, two words: David Banner and mind your Creatures... more on those in a minute.

Currently listening : Youth Novel By Lykke Li Release date: 11 March, 2008

4:20 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

On Sale
Current mood: siced

Off to Austin manyana..but look here. the record is now available on UGHH.. peep it..buy it. and the true vid is back up. I’ll have fun and free drinks on your behalf.

my name is kokayi and i approve this message.

12:29 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment