Weekly Replays during the week of September 27th

This will be a ongoing segment of my blog. Music is a big part of my life, whether I choose to pursue it as a career or not. It's inspiring. It's gives me hope about life.

What draws you to a song? What makes you rewind certain parts over and over again? What parts makes you smile, or tear up at others?

Is it the words? The melody? The music? The feeling you get when you listen to it? Or a combination of it all?

For me it's a little bit of everything. Some songs I like because of the beat, how the person flows on it, the feeling I get from it. This past week (the week of September 27th) was the first time I questioned why I replayed certain songs over and over again. They all had meaning, they all had a depth to them. Importantly, they all had a relation to my life and what I was going through at that time. This prompted me to look up the lyrics of the songs and decode them a bit. Since being in my Intro to Literature Class, I love picking apart words that have been put together. I no longer look at words as words. They all symbolize something, they all have some meaning.

Scatterbrain-Radiohead
This song has special meaning to me and this is the song I'm currently listening to it right now. When I first heard it, I heard a cover of singer Muhsinah, which is as good as the original. You couldn't really hear what she was saying clearly at some parts but I connected to it. The feeling, the song as a whole. I found out it was a cover and then looked up the lyrics. The lyrics were very all over the place, it was like looking in the mind of a scatterbrained person, which was the effect Radiohead was going for. The lyrics weren't made to be able to decode or even completely understand. You make sense of it in your own way. How this relates to me? People say I'm scatterbrained. Which is true. My thought process is not in a straight line which is one of the things that I love but sometimes can get annoying. Like when I do homework or take a test, I rarely start at the beginning. I jump all over the place, I may even stop writing an answer to go to another and come back to it. Sometimes I choose what's hard first and then go to what's easy last. I may even go work backwards from the back of the sheet just because I feel like it. I don't always have a reason for what I do. But it's getting to be annoying right now because I'm at college and I'm still in the process of figuring out what I want to do. I know that I won't have one career, I have goals in life, I just don't know what to pursue first. I have no plan. So every other day, I could be in a good mood because I just came from , my favorite class and then the next day I say "F**k college." My relationship with college is rocky. It's been that way from the start. In my next post I will elaborate on that.

Aquarius Rising-Sy Smith
I came arcoss this randomly while on Last.fm last week. Immediately I could relate to the words, the lyrics and even the music. I'm also an Aquarius. I have this fascination with astrology and so I will try and read up and soak up all I can about Aquariuses. A lot of the information is true too. This song made me even more proud to be an Aquarius. Here are some of the lyrics that I liked the most.

Cherish tradition yet unorthodoxed

I'm unpredictable and so out of step
Ahead of my time and bent on intellect

I'm fascinated with the future unknown
Experimental when I get into my zone

This is me in a nutshell. There's so much more to me than that.

Perfectly Blind-Day 26
I've had this song for awhile but never really paid it any attention until last week for some reason. Brian and Will in my opinion have the best voices of the group but Que's voice in the first verse is what drew me to the song in the first place. What got me listening to the song over an over last week was the combination of the voices, lyrics and the emotion through their voices. I love a song that tells a story and this was told beautifully even though the subject matter isn't all that pretty. About a man who's lost in love, hence the title. The lyrics are filled with imagery and emotion, which I needed last week.

My wide eyes, straight with red lines

Visions of me and you
Shattered in a day like broken glass

Mind is torn, Heart is torn
Violently craving
A substitute for you

I'm constantly on and off with this guy that I've known for about 7 months. Like college, it's a rocky, ongoing battle within myself. But every time I'm willing to stay and follow him blindly because I love him. Which is how I interpreted the song and connected with it. The last two lines(and the line:Could you take me as I am?) I can relate to and I'll probably write about it in a later post.

It Kills Me-Melanie Fiona
I found this song while I was losing the constant battle of asking myself should I give what me and my love have another chance. The message, lyrics and Melanie Fiona's intensity are what I connected to in this song. Of her wanting to stay and stick out her relationship so bad she's willing to risk her sanity is exactly how I felt and still feel. I often question myself. But it always comes back to him. My 1st love.

Ooooh I gotta be out my mind to think it’s gonna work this time
A part of me wants to leave, but the other side still believes
And it kills me to know how much I really love you
So much I wanna ooh hoo ohh to you hoo hoo

Been gone but...

things are changing. I'm no longer in this production group I was going to be in where we push tracks to artists in Atlanta. I will further discuss that in later posts and sound off about what I think of the music industry and I what I've seen so far. This week has been crazy. I'm still kinda sick but will be back at the writing in no time. That's really what I want to focus on right now. I have things to say that need to be said. My influence of last week I have neglected to write but hopefully I will write it tonight. This week just has been a test of what's really important, and what's just necessary. I'm still learning. I always will.

*Now off to clean my room and watch Sabrina. I love Audrey Hepburn.

Introducing Weekly Influence: Levi Maestro

Do you see him? He's the sexy ass white guy on the left. This is just a prelude to what I'm going to write tomorrow(well today). It's about 5:30 in the morning and I'm about to go back to sleep. I've been sick since yesterday and I feel like crap. My sleeping pattern has been jacked up because of this. I feel a little bit better but I'm going to take it easy for the next couple of days.

*Note: he's only in the 1st part of the video. This was the 1st time I had ever seen him in my life. I had to know his name and what he does. I'm very glad I did.

Bella's Lullaby

Remember this song? The song that Edward composed for Bella. *so dreamy* Well I read on this one girl's blog that she thought listening to Bach and Mozart while studying was bullshit but she tried it and loved it. So I thought why not give it a try. I picked "Bella's Lullaby because I remember it being one of the most beautiful contemporary classical songs that I've ever heard. I proceeded to download it and put it on my MP3 while I studied for my Psychology test because it's tomorrow. I put it on repeat so that would be the only song that would be playing. No lie it had me so much more focused on my studying. I was so surprised. I studied for about 2+ hours and I probably listened to that song about a couple hundred times. I never got tired of it. If I would've put a R&B song or something else, even if it was my favorite song, I would still get sick of it. If someone asked me what song I would want to play when I go to heaven I would pick this song. Why? Because it sounds like heaven on earth. It sounds like a masterpiece. Beautiful crafted. Whoever composed this in real life is a genius. When I was studying, I felt that sometimes I could equally concentrate on the task at hand and the song. It was good background noise when it had to be. I played it so many times that sometimes I felt as though the song was apart of my head, my thoughts. It felt so familiar.I no longer felt the headphones in my ears. That was such an amazing thing to experience. Even though I'm done studying for the test, I'm still playing it. It has me so calm right now,I'm so at peace. I love it.

My mind is spinning....

For my psychology class we have to write a paper on an experience that's related to psychology. Whether it be watching a movie, research on the internet, or participating in a case study. I first had an idea to watch a movie, probably something like Fatal Attraction, never seen the movie but would love to. Then for the past couple days me and some of my friends from the production team have been talking about subliminal messages in Disney movies. This was the 1st time I had even heard about it and so I did a little research on YouTube. I know that this rumor has been going on for years about Jay-Z being a devil worshiper and being affiliated with the Freemasons. But now they're analyzing everything that everybody around him in doing and saying that they're in on it too. Rihanna, Beyonce, Kanye, Nas. My head is spinning because I would love to research this for my paper. But I want to do the other 2 as well. So I think I'm going to get the movie and see if I can find more information on the subliminal messages and write 2 papers and just save one for the next time one's due. The Freemason one is going to take awhile but I'm going to start ASAP. I love conspiracy's.

"All black everything"

I was just reading through this one girl's blog, who I actually went to elementary school with,called _fashion.fetish!
(it's dope check it out!). She had a post about Jay-Z and how they have an 11 part series on Jay-Z and how he's related to the Freemason. Which seems like a cult. You know that sign that he throws up? It's similar to the Freemasonry symbol which is a ruler and a compass upside down. I haven't gone through all of the videos (I haven't even gone through a whole one yet) but when I do you should expect my opinion on the series. Go check it out. Type in "jay-z deception" and see for yourself.

Well Read..

Click the picture to view bigger.

So as I'm in my Intro to Literature class today I randomly flip to see this poem called "Swan" by John Hollanders. Never have I seen something so appealing in the form of words. Well I won't say never. But this is very appealing to the eye. Which is probably why the poet choose to do it in this format. What I love about my Intro to Lit Class is that the professor really challenges our minds in asking us questions of why the writer chose to do something a certain way and does it fit in with the story/theme of the piece. I can certainly say my critical thinking skills on poetry and just writing in general has grown. Every time I leave the room each week, my mind spins. In a good way.

Being in that class is also very intimidating. They speak of books and authors how I speak of musical artists and their CD's or a fashion designer and their aesthetic. I've been reading since I was 3 but never like this. I've never had a teacher who really pushed us and challenged our thoughts. They've read more classics than I have. I went to a Cleveland Public School and my English teacher went through some of the classics like most of Shakespeare, some Camus, The Great Gatsby, things of that sort. Looking back, we didn't read that many classics. Even though I'm figuring out that a lot of my class is older than me(which I love), I feel that I need to catch up. So one of my many side projects is to write up a list of classic authors or books that I want to read or think I need to experience. I just recently just changed my major to Creative Writing and I really want to work hard at this. I LOVE words. I say this time and time again to my family and some of the people that I've run across,"If I could travel the world and just write, I would be happy." I have other loves such as fashion, music and just art and creation in general, but if you strip me of everything I am and will always be a writer.

Right now I'm on Catcher in the Rye and I love it. Holden has such a sarcastic manner about him but you can tell that he still has a heart. I'm hoping to find Lolita at the library. I want to read that next.

Off to my oasis, the library.

Proven Fact

I dress way better when my hair is done. I'm way more confident. I'ma have to change that. Cuz I got a bomb sense of style.

So I've got this whole list of ideas for upcoming posts for my blog. But with classes and my involvement with this production team, plus tryna keep up with certain websites and street brand blogs leaves no time for me to sit down and write. I got a lot to say. I hate it when my creativity is like that. It's either a drought or a flood. Never an in between. My next's posts will range from my late night all nighters(and it wasn't for studying), to my thoughts on the words "Fantasecret" and "Wanderlust". Yeah, it's going to be interesting.

For now I will be posting some of the songs me & some people from my production team made fun of or said great things when we were in the lab tonight. My production team is cool peoples. :)

Nastiest song ever. Had me cracking up!




My friend pointed out that this was probably one of the first songs where the background vocals were like this.


I could have sworn that this had some type of choreography. But nonetheless, a good song. I loved this mini movie.



This is so wrong but super funny. How does he look like all Chris Brown, Jay-Z and Kanye? & he does the Kanye dance but messes it up. But I'm sad that they have Rihanna's hair looking like that. Her hair always looks good.


& I was going to leave you with an episode of Maestro Knows, by Levi Maestro this guy from LA who tours all over the world with Anthony Hamilton and videotapes that and all the cool things he experiences from day to day but....it can wait. I've only watched a couple episodes but I love the show. He's so inspiring and has really made an impact on how I think that he will be the first person I will write on my Weekly Influence. :)

Well I got class at 8 in the morning and it's already 12 am so....Night night. :)

Influences

No matter who you are, who you want to be, and where you want to go in life, you are complied by a mix of influences. Whether it be your favorite cartoon character, your favorite TV show host, your favorite athlete, or your favorite teacher, you're influenced by each and every one of them. You like each of them for some reason. Whether it be their determination, their drive, their generosity or just them being silly, you're somehow drawn to them and may even adapt or adopt that certain quality to your life. But just because you like them for their character doesn't mean that you should be just like them. That's why you may take just one quality and tailor it and make it fit into the lifestyle that you have or wish. That's how you stay true to yourself.
I've noticed that most of my influences, especially in the music and fashion worlds, are male. They have such a simplicity to how they live their life and how they go after what they want, sometimes without much internal struggle. I admire that and aspire to take more risks and be definite in the decisions I make. A guys mind (not the dirty parts), so dope to me. I'm drawn to guys who can carry on an intelligent conversation and challenge my mind. That's what I think the trick in life is; surrounding yourself and taking from people who are superior. Mentally superior. Not that their necessarily better than you, they just know a bit more. These people are in the places that you want to be, they have been where you want to be. Taking lessons, tips from them is the key to success. But experiencing it is even better.
All of my influences are either well known on the internet or just in the media in general. Which if you think about it makes it seem kind of corny. But they're where I want to be. Simple as that. So to keep up with my blogging more regularly I'm incorporating different things or segments to speak on each week. The first one that I've come up with is talking on an influence each week. Picking apart and breaking down on what really draws me to them and how I'm going to incorporate it into my life and how I want to live my life. I have so many influences from different worlds. From producer Pharrell Williams, to 19 yr old street brand entrepreneur/college student Phillip Annand, all of influences will be relevant to what I want to accomplish and achieve.



I wish it could be something like this. Where I could meet all my influences and interview them and compile them into a book for safekeeping. But for now I will take what I'm learning from other people interviewing them, pictures, and video and use it for my own inspiration. Maybe you'll get inspired too.

Guess who's back!

Meeeeee!!!! I'm so excited and determined to come back and make this a quality blog regardless of who reads this. I left this behind because after awhile I just talked about trends and I was stuck in the rut of just talking about just that. And me reading it back now, it doesn't really sound like me. I'm all over the place and this blog was beginning to turn into strictly a fashion blog when I said at the beginning that I didn't want that. I'm comprised and made up of so much more than my love of fashion. That's why I named this blog "Abstract Expressions." I went to Tumblr because to me it had more freedom. Video, quotes, text, audio, links, photos, and chat. Yes with Blogspot you can do all that too but with Tumblr I felt that the freedom was more organized. There was a button for each of these categories.
So why did I come back? I woke up yesterday with a mission. Make the best street/off beat brand that I can. So I read so many street brand blogs and high fashion blogs that my head is still spinning from so much inspiration. It's amazing. The two street brand blogs that caught my eye were Award Tour and MOB. The team, the blog and their brand were beyond dope. They were off to the left. They didn't do the normal "here's so& so's new single", or "here's the new collection from another fashion line." They also didn't promote themselves that much, to the point of annoyance, which I thought was refreshing. They personalized the blog to where you could actually get a feel of the personality of the person writing each post. You don't get that a lot on street wear brands. They talked about their life, their works, and experiences. That got me thinking about coming back to Blogspot and actually post and write about shit that matters, instead of talking about trends and things that probably won't matter to me in a couple years. At Tumblr, yes there was freedom but for me it wasn't the place to put my in depth feelings about things. To me it was a place to put my inspirations and post little blurbs about different things. But yes I'm back to blogging on here. I've missed being on here! It's like I'm coming home back from a long break at college. I will be going home on Friday too to get my hair done which is amazing. I've missed home. Getting back to this will take some getting used to but when I do no doubt this will be one of my favorite things to do.

* Oh yeah go and check out the blog that really inspired me to come back and blog. Go to www.theawardtour.com and be amazed by Phillip T. Annand's musings. He's dope.* The pic below is a preview of some of his amazing designs.