Who ARE you?

Alright, get out the Preparation H...some of y'all are going to be  butt-hurt.

I want to make a point here, popular (with some) or not (with others).

The rap game is very much like the mafia.  You're only as good as this week's envelope.  Everyone wants to know what you're doing TODAY.  People give respect to many rap veterans because they laid the foundation of hip hop, and put in the blood, sweat, and tears to get rap recognized as a lasting art and form of music, and not a fad.  That's awesome! Every single veteran in the game deserves recognition as such, and to be respected and appreciated.  Just like our military veterans deserve respect for their selfless sacrifice, and for even paying the ultimate price for our freedoms.  I AM IN NO WAY IMPLYING THAT RAP ARTISTS ARE IN THE SAME CATEGORY AS OUR MILITARY VETS...now, sit down, shut up, and watch where i'm going with this. I'm making the comparison, leading up to something else, fucko.

Every veteran deserves respect and recognition, but that doesn't automatically mean that they are necessarily "leadership material" or that they will go on to a noteworthy career and accomplish great things in the military. People will listen to them to hear their history, and out of respect.

Let's get a little closer to where i'm going.....

3 names I want to present to you....

Gen. Norman Shwarzkopf
Gen. Colin Powell
Gen. James Riley

You can easily identify the first two. The commanding general of armed forces during Operation Desert Storm, and the other as the first black secretary of state. Both became household names, widely respected and sought after for their expertise.  Gen. Riley was commanding general of 3rd Infantry Division, the most deployed division in the Army. He's since retired.  He deserves and receives respect for who he is. Reaching the rank of General is no easy task, much LESS Lt.Gen as he was. We respect him. We honor his service. Doors open, carpets roll out, and we listen as he gives us lessons in history......

History.

No one is seeking him out to discuss modern day tactics. Same with (a man who sits down to breakfast every day with G-d, himself) Gen George S. Patton. A TANKER'S tanker, until the day he died.  If he was alive today, he could tell us all day about WWII, WWI, his campaigns in Africa, a TRUE badass who once ran out of gas, so he RAN ONTO THE BATTLEFIELD and commanded his tanks in an entire engagement, then walked with 5 gal gas cans to the next town to get fuel, walked back, refueled his tank and got back in the fight......But he couldn't tell me about the M1A1, or hell even the M48A5 MBT or tactics. He's yesterday's hero.

Why am I going through all of this?

There are a LOT of hip-hop artists today, who deserve and receive honors, accolades, respect, for paving the way and making this dream called hip-hop into a reality. They made their contribution, and retired, or were phased out. You receive RESPECT....but in the long run, if you aren't actively recording and doing so in a manor that makes you relevant in today's hip-hop, no one is going to listen to you for anything other than a history lesson, or to show respect.  Want proof?

That young artist who took a pic with you, and showed you love......did he ask you to make a record with him? Did he present you to his label? Did he do anything besides take a pic and show you love?

Let's start being real with ourselves. Being yesterday's star doesn't really pay today's bills. So, how does this  change? Start with my concept of "retire yesterday".  Retire Yesterday doesn't mean what you think. It actually means, get off of the Old School, retirement home circuit. Get your shit together and start making TODAY'S music.  Make that hottest shit, and become a name known to KIDS TODAY!! Recreate yourself. Get with those who will be honest with you, and listen to them. The top fashion consultants, hair dressers, producers, beat creators, and let them re-create you. Don't fight them. "I KNOW my shit!" word? What's your latest joint on the radio?

All i'm saying is, let's get you up to speed TODAY.  That is my vision. But the first thing you'll have to do, is Retire Yesterday.  Then start writing again, get your chops back.  Don't go trying to sound all hip like today's kids. It's fake and you'll become a joke. Write MATURE music, but music that can still be felt, danced and headbobbed to or that puts across a real message. 

I will help any way that I can. But i'm going to be harsh with the truth, because you'll never do it with someone pumping sunshine up your ass. Iron sharpens Iron.


"Retire Yesterday, and be relevant today"

Peace
I can be reached at 574-849-4494, bit.ly/OdadTruthRecrds , or lion@trueschoolent.com

Humor me....if you have REAL musical taste, you'll be glad you did

Chances are, you've seen one of my heroes.....and laughed at him. "LOOK at that RIDICULOUS HAIR!!"

Behind that hair, is a socially awkward, semi-insecure, paranoid, neurotic fucking GENIUS! Not ONLY is he an absolute GOD on the guitar (or guitars, as on Welcome Home )....

......but you have to know a bit of the Coheed and Cambria background. You see, Claudio writes a series of graphic novels, called "The Amory Wars".

The couple you see standing on the cover here, are Coheed and Cambria Kilgannon, and the short version is that they live in a universe known as Heavens Fence which consists of 78 planets held together by "interconnecting beams of energy known as 'The Keywork'".  They have 4 children, the twins Matthew and Maria, Josephine, and Claudio. Turns out, that Claudio is "The Crowing" (read Messiah) and will bring about the end of days, and wow there is just so much to this story.....why does it at all matter??

I'm glad you asked.....

You see, ya know how Pink Floyd's "The Wall" was a concept album? Well, the BAND Coheed and Camria, are a concept band. Every song, through the first 8 albums, are allegorical and tell the story of The Amory Wars. Subtly, but if you know the story, you pick up how the songs relate.  So, Claudio Sanchez writes these (call them comic books and I'll punch you in the throat) graphic novels, and has a band to play what is essentially the soundtrack. Pretty fucking genius, no?

BUT WAIT! There's MORE!

Claudio has a side-project band that is mostly electronica and acoustic music. The band is called The Prize Fighter Inferno.............guess who Inferno is! GUESS, FUCKERS!!!!! Inferno, is Jesse, Coheed's brother. SO, PFI ALSO is a concept band, telling a side-story to the main story of the universe...the whole thing has been picked up by Mark Wahlberg's production company and is in pre-production.  I CAN'T WAIT!!!!! Talk about MARKETING GENIUS!

I said all that, to share with you all, this song. Please take a moment to listen to this incredible man and his incredible band. Share your thoughts with me! Did it make you check them out some more? Propel you to look up other songs of their? Then I'm thrilled. Welcome to being a Child of The Fence (what we, the loyal fans, are referred to. I am recognized as "The Elder Statesman of Heaven's Fence", among the children. I"m probably the oldest HUGE fan they have lol)
If it didn't make you listen some more...if you didn't like the music....then you hate your mother, kick puppies, and since Claudio is Puerto Rican, you're a fuckin racist to boot.

Good night you little bastards. I love you all.

The End Complete V- On The Brink