My first love

Anyone that has ever known me can attest to the fact that my first love is music. I sing everywhere, but have not been on stage in 15 years! Returning to the stage is a goal of mine for this year, but that doesn't stop me from singing in the streets when I feel like it to whatever song shuffles on the iPod or if the mood just hits me.

I did something this week that I haven't done since my 20's. I went out on a work night. I don't mean an afterwork social, I mean, went back out to an event at 11 PM to an alleged "industry" function in the city.

The place was really nice and the DJ was great (I took his info, just in case I may need him in the future!), but there was one disturbing observation. When the old school hip-hop came on and "Do I Do" by Stevie Wonder, only 1/8 of the crowd was hype. Umm, hello, can we get some respect for those who paved the way and kicked down the doors for all of these talentless minstrels who are presently on the airwaves?

How can someone tap their foot to one note of music today without being able to recognize the players of yesterday? It's a shame. No one is reinventing the wheel here. Back then, you had to have the chops, period. It didn't matter how you looked, it was all about the talent and the connection with the audience. Today, it's all style over substance. I am not taking away from the long tedious road or the hard work that folks put in, but come on, the folks from the 20th century came about on the heels of slavery, fought the strict state statutes that kept Jim Crow alive and well, traveled the chitlin circuit, fighting the powers that be, doin it in the park..............keep up with me y'all.

I am glad that I was raised in a home that played so many different kinds of music and forced me to open my mind and ears and foster the ability to recognize when the Isleys or the JB's were being ripped off by a couple of sampling fools that didn't want to give props where props were due!!!!!!

I encourage those that don't know, to take the time to go back and discover the origin of this thing of ours. The beauty of live instruments and the powerhouse vocals and brilliant lyrics that held us up when we as a people were tired of being held down.

Paz y Amor,

Nish