just to be clear...

Deep Crates - Documentary Film Dedicated to the Art of Beatdiggin'

i am a hip-hop head. it has never been & never will be a passing phase for me. the culture is a very significant part of my way of expression as a creative.

IMO the commercial aspects of hip-hop are not reflective of many of the cultural aspects that make me proud to support the culture. there is really nothing that i can do about this except not actively feed into it. as w/most things in life, it's an ongoing process.

part of the process is studying history. last week i peeped Deep Crates 1 & 2. the content was not what i expected, but this was a good thing. i learned quite a bit from a number of cats that i have a great respect for. overall, Deep Crates 2 was a little more powerful to me than 1. it was really interesting to see/hear these cats express some of their frustrations as creatives.

Deep Crates 2

the biggest thing i came away w/is the importance of establishing your own creative voice/presence. copping the same gear &/or vinyl as whoever is not going to put you in a position to emulate what they do. that's a mentality i can't relate to for at least 2 reasons:

1. you're not that person
2. it's not what you use, it's how you use it

studying the technique of the greats can be helpful, but ultimately they are considered great because their sounds &/or contributions have been unique/innovative in various ways.

being unique/different isn't something i have to work at. it seems to just be a part of how i function. that likely has a lot to do w/why Refinery fuel does not sound like hip-hop. it sounds like what it sounds like. it is heavily influenced by hip-hop, but for the most part, i would not classify it sonically as hip-hop. genre classification is not really something that i focus on as a creator anyway.

what do i focus on?

creating fuel that sounds interesting. improving my ability to create fuel that is sonically proficient. creating fuel that expresses whatever it is the universe presents me w/as inspiration in ways that will inspire others.

i'm not trying to be like this guy or that guy. i'm working to be the best guy that i am & there is always room for improvement. for me it is not enough to just experience the creative energy of others. i have energy of my own that i have to get out. creating + ways to do this is my goal. that's what i have to work at!

it's definitely not easy, but in the end what is easy that is worth having/doing?

PEACE

...be calm...