Let’s try this again. As you guys know, my site has been effin up for the past month. If it happens again, I’m quitting LOL. But for now, here goes…

I have a couple things to address today. The 1st 2 points are for aspiring artists and the last point is for everybody. Here goes…

1. I’ve noticed that a lot of people are trying to get into the entertainment industry but only market themselves online. YES, the internet is a good place to advertise but there are still other ways. Not everybody is as lucky as Soulja Boy. Whatever happened to doing shows? Building a fan base? Just because you’re putting your stuff on the internet/getting hits doesn’t mean that people are feeling you. Performances bring the music to life. Let people feel your stage presence. What I’m trying to say is…STOP BEING SO LAZY BECAUSE OF THE INTERNET. Oh yea…making tourists think you’re a celebrity, signing autographs, and selling them your mixtape for $5 in Times Square isn’t cutting it either. #imjustsayin

2. Have the right team behind you. Don’t just have Sincere be your manager because you knew him since you were 6. EVERYBODY IS NOT MADE FOR THE INDUSTRY. You need honest people. I’ve seen some people “singing/rapping” and I just sat there thinking “WHO THE HELL TOLD YOU THAT YOU WERE TALENTED???” (If they had asked me, I would have told them to go another route). Always ask different people for their honest opinions, not just your friends. Send your music to some of the not so bougie industry people on twitter. Get honest feedback. I can’t stress that enough. It’s sad because some people actually dead the whole idea of going to college to pursue a music career that’s NEVER going to happen. Here you are with no plan B because your “team” isn’t being honest with you. To be honest, you shouldn’t even HAVE A TEAM if you’re not going anywhere. Somebody should have told you from jump that this just wasn’t going to happen for you. On the other hand, I can’t knock a TALENTED person who’s investing all their time into music because they might actually make it one day if they’re grinding the right way so by all means, keep doing what you do =D

3. A good way to get into WHATEVER industry you’re trying to be in is to INTERN. Yes, work for free! What upsets me is that most people wait until it’s required in their senior year of college to start an internship. I started interning when I was 19. Internships only help you gain knowledge and skills for whatever work you’re trying to do. Many of the people you see at the top have interned for somebody. If you go about it the right way you can start out as an intern for a company and end up being the President of that company one day. If you’re trying to be a rapper, intern for Def Jam or one of the major labels. Learn what’s going to be going on with your album (business wise) when it comes out one day. YOU CAN NEVER HAVE  TOO MUCH KNOWLEDGE.

#thatisall

On September 11, 2001 I was sitting in my history classroom (8th grade). My friend Shannon, who was late to class because of a doctor’s appointment, came in and whispered something to our teacher Mr. Jackson. He told her not to say anything to the rest of the class (I guess he wanted to keep the class calm -_-). Like I said, Shannon was my FRIEND so of course she came and told me what had happened. I had so many mixed emotions. The first thing I thought about was my mom. We had just moved to New Jersey 2 months prior but she still worked in the city. Then I started thinking what would have happened if I still lived in New York.

As soon as we got out of class I picked up my cell phone and called my mom. She had been evacuated from her building all the way on the other side of the World Trade Center. She told me to pack my things and go to my uncle’s house because she would be coming home late or not coming at all. When school was over I went home and did as she said. I got to my uncle’s house and then went to the field with my friends to watch the Pop Warner football practice. I don’t think I really understood how BIG this was. I knew the buildings were important but I still hadn’t seen any footage of what had happened.

I got home from the field and turned on the news to see them replay the planes crashing into the buildings and started to cry. The site of people running for their lives was just crazy to me. I called my mother again and she told me that she was walking across the George Washington bridge because cars weren’t allowed to drive on it. I told her I loved her and went to lay down. I fell asleep that night crying because I honestly didn’t know if my mother was going to make it home or not.

I woke up the next morning and got ready to go to school. I called my mother and she was at work again. I didn’t want her to work in NY anymore because I was scared that this would happen again. I arrived at school and life went back to “normal.” Unfortunately, life didn’t go back to “normal” for A LOT of people.

We each have our own stories of where we were, what we were doing, which family members were affected, etc. Let’s just reflect,  thank God for life, and cherish each moment we have left on this earth with our loved ones.

*RIP 9/11 victims.

God bless those people who lost their loved ones.

God bless all the people who volunteered.

God bless the people in the buildings who SURVIVED.

God bless America!