artistic self aware yes...

my endeavors in hip-hop began some time between junior high & high school. by my 1st years in college i was trying to find collaborators (DJ's, producers, other MC's, etc.). although these relationships rarely turned into completed contributions to the culture, i have maintained my efforts to perpetuate the culture in any way i possibly can.

this includes educating other humans on the aspects of the culture, shining light on the culture that lives outside of mainstream media channels, buying the albums of artists who respect the culture, going to shows of these artists, etc. in addition to these activities i have always continued to do 3 things to facilitate my contribution to the culture:

1. study (any info i get my senses on)
2. write (lyrics, poetry, prose)
3. pursue the necessary body of knowledge to create audio

i study as often as possible. i read a lot, but reading is useless if you are unwilling or unable to convert words to actions. theories are only useful when they explain observations & are used to determine what to do next. to my knowledge no one observes actual thought. everything we do as humans is w/consideration of some action to take place, or analysis of some past action.

i use this perspective to approach my artistic goals. the recording industry is a strange thing. it is facilitated by artists, but often operated by individuals who have little knowledge of or regard for the artistic process. it has apparently been this way for quite a while. in my observation & personal analysis, the most likely way for such a dynamic to change is for artists to become more business oriented. those of us who create have to become the operators of the industry.

the key seems to be to not forget the artistic process while at the same time being as aware as possible of the workings of the media industries. artists have to take control...

as w/most things worth fighting for in life, this is easier said than done.

now, back to the fight for me...

PEACE
...be calm...