My First Blog Post - Straight Up
After releasing my debut album "CYRILYRIC" from the bare bones of my knowledge, and so unexpectedly not even the Man Above had a clue, I've improved enough to instill some confidence within my skill. Progress is motivational. No one enjoys taking one step foward and two steps back, especially doing something they love. I didn't expect to find an interest in audio engineering, and had there been someone I knew capable of doing it for me, I would have never known. Learning something new can be difficult, especially when looking at its entirety. When I first opened Ableton 9, the only DAW I've ever worked with, I was overwhelmed with all the FX and possibilities, and the thought of mixing and mastering hadn't even crossed my mind. I remember making songs over some of my favorite producers tracks, they were extremely rough copies, but hold the roots of my understanding, the spark in my interest. Some of the best moments in audio engineering I've experienced are duplicating the near-exact effect of a professionally produced track you love. Finding out how the engineer created that is rewarding and refreshing. It's a friendly reminder to keep at it. I've been recording since September 2015 and have no desire to quit.
How I got into rap was pretty simple. I took my brother's copy of OutKast's greatest hits album they dropped back in 2001 (I was 8 or 9 years old) called Big Boi and Dre Present... Outkast. That was my jam, straight up. Immediately fell in love with both of their deliveries and word play. Neither one was better than the other, both were master's of their own style. Pretty much from then on it was primarily OutKast, UGK, Lil Wayne, ZRo, 2Pac, 2Pac, and 2Pac. I had this crazy phase of only 2Pac. He will straight up inject confidence into your bloodstream, sometimes can be an over dose, but nonetheless powerful with every lyric. High school has been the crazy period in my life so far. Every bad experience or most memorable has most likely dated back to my high school education. Music was a huge interest at the time, but socializing with friends and going to parties seemed to dominate that interest, and it did. I lost track of my goals, my focus, myself. My only interest now was to feel normal. Euphoria was gone because I lost track of true happiness. I let the pseudo-bliss pervert my vision of eternal bliss. The intoxication, the addiction, and the depression settled in that order. I became lost in my own home. Uncomfortable in my own body. I thought it was all about the party. I was tricked, but only to make that mistake one last time. I learned from that lifestyle I lived for many years that I will never live it again, no matter what temptation. Our time here is too limited and preious to waste even a second of it, and if you don't agree, you're wasting time. We're designed to work with each other, coexist, and only with balance and harmony. Love should be our only emotion, and hate should be the darkest thing to imagine. However, it's easier to hate nowadays than it is to love because we attach conditions to our love. Guidelines and requirements that if one doesn't reach or qualify, they're not worthy of your love. This is why I struggled finding self-love. I found it so easy to hate myself, to build insecurities and to separate from the world because I'm surrounded by that mentality. The majority of people, including myself, at some point in their lives have wished, and maybe still do, to be in the best shape, in the best body with the perfect face, instead of realizing what's putting them out of shape. Self-destructive thoughts and bad habits lead to unhealthy bodies. Our mind has the ability to produce positive or negative thoughts - constructive or deconstructive. Gaining control of your mind is the key. Unhealthy diets, which are the easiest thing to succumb to nowadays, could lead to an uncontrollable mind. Allowing your mind out of your control will now make you, a living creature, unstable. Hate will come with ease, love will require work. On the contrary of an unhealthy diet, one should find themselves entirely under control of their physiology, their emotions, allowing themselves to fully develop as a living creature to their destined potential. I've caved into unhealthy eating, splurging on fast food, especially during my high school education, putting my body out of whack. You are what you eat eats, straight up. I had to learn it the hard way, but thankfully, sooner than later. By sourcing every product and simply looking at the sugar and salt content, I can determine what's best for my body. Refined sugars and salts I avoid. After watching what I eat, I realize I have more control over my body, especially my immune system. Anytime any compromise occurs, it's precursor is usually lack of sleep or something I consumed, both of which are entirely up to me to decide, straight up.
