After yet another school-related break, I’m back with the song of the day! =]
The song album of the day is ”8ight: The Stepson of Erykah Badu” by AlcoholHarmony
I’ve posted this album before, but this is the “Annie Don’t Wear No Panties Edition”, aka the “Unedited/Uncensored” version.
Of course, the link can be found here: http://durandbernarr.bandcamp.com/album/8ight-the-stepson-of-erykah-badu
Music is so difficult. More difficult than you could ever imagine. The competition between musicians is so fierce that you can rarely determine who is the best. It’s quite common that you hear someone called “The greatest *instrument here*-ist who ever lived.
Apparently you're going the wrong way...
But by whose standards?
Who died and told you that you could determine what qualities/skills make a musician “great” or even to be called “the greatest of all time”. Is this just a way of telling everyone who plays that instrument that if you don’t play like or sound like this person, you’re wrong?!
How fair is that?!
I own a method book for xylophone written by George Hamilton Green. Throughout the book he offers advice on how you should be playing the exercises. And he doesn’t encourage. He’s very demanding, almost forceful. I am always discouraged when I can’t play through his simple exercises with the “proper technique”.
But what makes HIS technique the “proper” technique? Why can’t I be creative? Isn’t that what music is about? If you tell ALL xylophone players that they HAVE to play this way and if not, they’re wrong, how fair is that? It’s very disheartening to people (especially myself) when I can’t do things as well as someone else and I’m put to shame for it.
But you MUST play like this…
Why?
Because it’s accepted…
There’s no other way to do it…..
But then there are those who pick up on the “proper” way to do things. The “fast learners” who have gone through the method book already and their own method book has already been sent to the publisher. They don’t have anything else to learn but the notes. Watching them always motivates me…..until I realize……..these people are my age. Now I wonder……
Where did I go wrong? Why can’t I do that? These kids are college professional level.
Why can’t I be?
Is it something I’m doing? I just want to know why I’m getting ready to go to college in a year or so and I’m not even on the same level as them. And surely enough, we’re gonna audition back to back, one after another.
And who are they gonna pick?
Not me.
Apparently I’m not doing it “right”.
-Maurice W.
Today’s song isn’t gonna be just one song….it’s a whole mixtape.
This is the newest release by one of my favorite artists, Durand Bernarr aka AlcoholHarmony. His mixtape is called:
“8ight: The Stepson of Erykah Badu [Jesus Edition]” 
PLEASE download this. It is TRULY amazing. The download link can be found here:
http://origsupawoman.blogspot.com/2010/02/8ight-stepson-of-erykah-badu-official.html
I was watching TMZ today and it made me start thinking…How many true celebrities do we have nowadays? If I were to list all the celebrities in Hollywood, I’d be talking for days. But how many of them possess actual talent? How many have done something beside be famous and lay around in their olympic-sized swimming pools full of $20 bills and half-naked women?
If I were to be honest, not many have actually earned their fame. And they definitely havent earned the money that comes with being famous. So what have they actually done? How did they obtain their current status?Most of today’s celebrities possess little to no talent, but are very quick to show off their $2 million jewelery and the small car dealership they call a garage.
Let’s look at some of today’s celebrities.
Kim Kardashian, for example. Quick! Give me a list of 3 things she’s done to earn her fame!
………………………………..
1. Sex Tape with Ray J
2. Her butt
3. Her father was one of O.J.’s lawyers
…………..So……….What has she done again?
Nothing.
Let’s move on, shall we?
Paris Hilton
……………………
1. Sex Tape
2. She’s part of the Hilton family fortune
3. ___________________________
………….Get it?
So, basically to be famous, all I need to do is put out a sex tape or be part of a family fortune?
Seems to be so.
No talent necessary.
But what happened to the days when, in order to make a lot of money and be famous, you actually had to DO something? When celebrities were role models kids could look up to? When celebrities were multi-talented?
Let’s take it waaaaaaaaay back. To the early 1920′s with Fred Astaire. (My mom loves this man)
Do you want to know what he was known for?
1. Singer
2. Dancer (Film and Broadway)
3. Choreographer
4. Actor (The American Film Institute named him the 5th Greatest Male Star of All Time)
Now that’s saying something. He was named 5th Greatest of ALL TIME and the entertainment era had just started when he died. He was known for much more than the 4 things I listed. But my point is, when will we be able to say something like that about a modern-day celebrity? That they made a big enough impact on culture to be called one of the greatest of all time?! Lets be honest, the man had talent. Natural talent. Something that couldn’t be duplicated. Money didn’t matter to him. He was doing what he loved. How many of today’s celebrities don’t care about money? Be honest, now. You know just as well as I do that they will fight companies and refuse to perform or sign a contract with anyone that won’t pay them enough. What kind of sense does this make? You’re already a millionaire! Why do you need more?
Because they don’t care.
They don’t care about anything but themselves and how much goes in their pocket. They care about how many pictures will be taken of them. They care about the next publicity stunt they can pull.
Do they care about the art they’re destroying? Nope.
But can you tell them anything?
Nope.
They’re famous.
-Maurice W.
